EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica MogheriniReuters

France, Germany, Britain and the European Union on Friday issued a joint condemnation of the US move to reimpose sanctions on Iran that were lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear agreement.

"We deeply regret the reimposition of sanctions by the United States stemming from their withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," they said in a statement quoted by AFP, a reference to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

The statement defended the deal as "essential for the security of Europe, the region and the whole world".

"Our objective is to protect European economic actors involved in legitimate commercial trade with Iran," it added.

Europe will also seek to "maintain financial channels operational with Iran and to ensure the continuation of Iranian oil and gas exports", it said.

US President Donald Trump announced in May that he was walking away from the 2015 deal and would reimpose sanctions.

Trump later signed an executive order officially reinstating US sanctions against Iran. Additional US sanctions targeting Iran's oil and shipping industries will go into effect on November 4.

US officials said Friday that Washington was adding 700 individuals and entities to its Iran blacklist and pressuring the global SWIFT banking network to cut off Tehran when expanded sanctions are put in place next week.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the sanctions were aimed at getting Tehran to halt its nuclear activities and what the US says is broad support for "terrorism" in the region.

The European signatories to the 2015 deal did not agree with Trump’s decision to leave the agreement and have been trying to save the accord, which they see as crucial to forestalling an Iranian nuclear weapon.

The European Union has vowed to help Iran evade the economic sanctions imposed by the US, shielding companies doing business with the rogue state in an effort to preserve the Iran nuclear deal.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)