This archive report was first published on 1 August 2019.
Published on August 1, 2019, the European Union expressed regret over the US decision to impose sanctions on Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The move, announced by the US government on Wednesday, freezes any of Zarif's assets in the United States or controlled by US entities, and curtails his international travel.
Despite the sanctions, the EU has vowed to continue working with Zarif, who has been at the heart of complex talks with foreign capitals over Iran's nuclear power industry.
"We regret this decision," said Carlos Martin Ruiz De Gordejuela, a spokesman for EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini. "From our side, we will continue to work with Mr Zarif as Iran's most senior diplomat and in view of the importance of maintaining diplomatic channels," Martin added.
The EU's stance is a blow to President Donald Trump's efforts to undermine the 2015 international deal to curb Iran's nuclear programme, which Brussels has been trying to salvage.
