Iran urges EU to find 'solutions' for mutual trade amid US pressures

TEHRAN - Iran will not wait forever for the European Union (EU) to develop a mechanism to facilitate trade with the Islamic republic amidst the US sanctions pressures, an Iranian deputy foreign minister told official IRNA news agency on Friday.

The EU states have shown their political willingness to save the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Abbas Araqchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, was quoted as saying.

However, they have delayed in developing operational plans to guarantee Iran's economic interests under the deal, he said.

Iran acknowledges seriousness of pressures by the United States on the Europeans and the existence of technical and legal obstacles on the path, he said, adding that Europeans are trying to remove these obstacles.

Iran will not wait forever for the European's "operational solutions" and will make necessary decisions in due time, he pointed out.

On Wednesday, Iran and the EU renewed their resolve to keep the Iranian 2015 nuclear deal alive despite the unilateral US withdrawal from the international accord in May and return of Washington's sanctions against Tehran.

A clearing house, known as a Special Purpose Vehicle, which was designed to allow European companies to bypass the US sanctions, is due to be set up by the EU within the next few months, according to the Western media.