Germany weighing new sanctions against Iran, according to ‘Der Spiegel’

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany is lobbying among European allies to agree new sanctions against Iran in an attempt to prevent US President Donald Trump from terminating the international deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear program, Der Spiegel reported on Saturday.

The report cited diplomats in Brussels as saying that Germany was pushing for new sanctions together with Britain and France to show the United States that European allies were taking Trump’s criticism against Iran seriously.

A German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman and another government spokesman both declined to comment on the report.

Germany wants to punish Iran for its missile program and its meddling in conflicts in other Middle East countries, such as the war in Yemen and Syria, the report said.

Above all, the aim of the Europeans is to prevent the United States from terminating the nuclear agreement sealed in 2015, as repeatedly threatened by Trump, Der Spiegel reported.

Iran said last week it would retaliate against new sanctions imposed by Washington after Trump set an deadline to fix “disastrous flaws” in the nuclear deal.

Trump has said he would waive nuclear sanctions on Iran for the last time, to give the United States and European allies a final chance to amend the pact. Washington also imposed sanctions on the head of Iran’s judiciary and others.