Iran says Europeans yielding to 'high school bully' Trump in nuclear row

DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran’s foreign minister said on Thursday three European states had succumbed to US threats of new tariffs on their goods when they triggered a dispute mechanism in a nuclear pact, a step that could lead to the reimposition of United Nations sanctions. The pact, or JCPOA, was agreed in 2015 between Tehran and world powers. US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018 and imposed stringent US sanctions on Iran, telling Tehran he wanted a new broader deal on nuclear and other issues. “Appeasement confirmed. E3 sold out remnants of #JCPOA to avoid new Trump tariffs. It won’t work my friends. You only whet his appetite. Remember your high school bully?” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter. The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the Trump administration had threatened to impose a 25% tariff on European automobile imports if Britain, France and Germany did not formally accuse Iran of breaking the 2015 nuclear deal.