Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Moves to cool Iran row

Monday 06 October 1997 18:02 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Amid indications from Washington yesterday that the Clinton Administration would hold off on its threat to impose sanctions on the French oil giant Total for defying a US ban on new investment in Iran, European Union foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg signalled two gestures which were interpreted as conciliatory.

The first is that EU ambassadors, recalled from Iran in April after a separate dispute with the Iranians, will not return to Tehran yet. The French President Jacques Chirac had fuelled US anger over Total by saying last week that he hoped EU envoys could return soon, but received little backing.

EU ministers also signalled they would draw back from a threat to reopen legal proceedings against the US Iran-Libya Sanctions Act in the World Trade Organisation on 15 October. This was the deadline given by Brussels in April when the two sides called a six-month truce in the related dispute over American attempts to impose sanctions on European companies doing business with Cuba.

That period is about to expire and with little sign of progress in negotiations, the EU should in theory reopen its WTO action next week. But ministers have accepted that talks could continue at least until December and possibly up to next April.

Extending the talks deadline takes the heat out of the immediate row and gives extra time to hammer out the terms of a code which, in effect, would waive American sanctions on future European investments in countries targeted by US "trading with the enemy" legislation. The Clinton Administration hopes it can in exchange force the EU into tougher measures to combat Iran-sponsored terrorism.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in