Threatening Sanctions, Bolton Urges Europe to Join US in Violating Iran Nuclear Deal

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Sunday, May 13, 2018

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Common Dreams

"Europeans will see that it's in their interests to come along with us," Bolton said.

by

Jake Johnson, staff writer

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"In a just world, Bolton would be on trial at the Hague for war crimes. Instead, he has been promoted into a position to do to Iran what he did to Iraq," Middle East expert Juan Cole recently wrote. (Photo: CNN/Screengrab)

Warning that the U.S. could impose sanctions on European companies that continue to do business with Iran after President Donald Trump violated the international nuclear accord last week, national security adviser John Bolton said in an appearance on CNN Sunday that he believes "Europeans will see that it's in their interests to come along with us."

In response to CNN host Jake Tapper's observation that the U.S. is unilaterally working to kill the nuclear accord despite strong resistence from much of the international community, Bolton insisted "we're not going it alone" and boasted, "We have the support of Israel, we have the support of the Arab oil-producing monarchies, and many others."

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Bolton's sanctions threat comes as Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif is embarking on a "diplomatic tour" in an effort to keep the nuclear agreement intact despite Trump's decision to violate the accord—a move analysts and anti-war groups warned puts the U.S. on a path to yet another military conflict in the Middle East.

"If the remaining five countries continue to abide by the agreement, Iran will remain in the deal despite the will of America," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a statement, referring to China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

As Common Dreams reported on Friday, Federica Mogherini, the European Union's top diplomat, pledged to work with the international community to uphold the nuclear agreement and denounced the "impulse to destroy" that drove Trump's decision to violate the accord.

Bolton, for his part, has long been a fervent opponent of the nuclear deal, and has in the past urged the U.S. to "bomb Iran" and pursue regime change.

"In a just world, Bolton would be on trial at the Hague for war crimes," author and Middle East expert Juan Cole wrote in a recent article, highlighting Bolton's role in manipulating intelligence to justify the U.S. invasion of Iraq. "Instead, he has been promoted into a position to do to Iran what he did to Iraq."

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