Iranians hail Europe's 'practical step' in safeguarding nuclear deal
Iranians have cautiously welcomed reports that France and Germany are establishing a channel for trade with Iran and help salvage the nuclear deal.
The Wall Street Journal reported Nov. 26 that Paris and Berlin are about to create a payments channel to maintain trade with Tehran in defiance of US sanctions. The news has been largely received in Iran as a signal that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will yet be salvaged. The channel, known as a Special Purpose Vehicle, has been under discussion for months by Iranian and European negotiators.
Printing a picture of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel hand-in-hand on its front page, Reformist newspaper Aftab praised their two governments’ "step forward" in bypassing US sanctions on Iran. "The French and Germans are rolling up their sleeves to implement the mechanism," read another editorial in Iran, a paper echoing the official agenda of President Hassan Rouhani's government. "Once implemented, the mechanism will prevent Iranian financial isolation," the article stated.
