Britain, France, Germany and the European Union — the European signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — have offered little beyond frustration to Iran, which had been expecting them to provide the promised economic dividends of the accord in the face of US pressure that has been mounting since President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the deal in May 2018.
Increasingly disappointed, Iran has sought alternatives by trying to materialize its "Look to the East" doctrine, which seeks deeper ties with Asia's three leading powers, namely China, India and Japan.