Defying a U.S. demand, Europe says it will stick with Iran deal

MUNICH — European officials insisted Friday they would remain committed to the Iran nuclear deal, a day after Vice President Mike Pence demanded that the continent’s major powers follow the United States out of the agreement and accused them of trying to bust U.S. sanctions.

Addressing the Munich Security Conference, where leaders from around the globe began to gather Friday, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini held tough on the continent’s commitment to the Iran deal, saying that the 28-nation bloc regards the agreement as an effective guarantor of peace.

“I believe if it was not for the European Union and its member states, starting with France, Germany and the U.K., I am sure that the nuclear deal with Iran would have been dead long ago,” she said. “We believe it is fundamental and crucial for our security.”

The comments came after Mr. Pence used a speech in Warsaw on Thursday to deliver the most direct attack to date from a U.S. official on Europe’s attempts to salvage the agreement. Mr. Pence accused European powers of aiding “that vile regime” in Tehran with a new financial platform intended to allow trade with Iran to continue, even as the U.S. attempts to choke it off.

The blistering Pence speech appeared to have done little to alter the course of Europe’s Iran policy, or even provoke much reaction. Ms. Mogherini did not directly mention Mr. Pence’s statement, and the EU account of a meeting she held with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Brussels earlier on Friday made no mention of the issue.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Friday that Europe would seek to keep the deal alive. But pressed on what more Europe could do as its companies exit Iran under U.S. pressure, he declined to spell out new tactics.