Oil group out of gas project

– Iran said yesterday Europe should accelerate its efforts to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers that US President Donald Trump abandoned in May, as French oil group Total formally pulled out of a major gas project.

Efforts by the remaining signatories – EU members Britain, France and Germany, plus China and Russia – to avoid its collapse are struggling as Washington has said any firms dealing with Teheran will be barred from doing business in the United States.

“Europeans and other signatories of the deal have been trying to save the deal ... but the process has been slow. It should be accelerated,” foreign ministry spokesperson Bahram Qasemi said.

“Iran relies mainly on its own capabilities to overcome America’s new sanctions,” he told a news conference broadcast on state TV.

European states have been scrambling to ensure Iran gets enough economic benefits to persuade it to stay in the deal, which Trump said was “deeply flawed”.

Washington imposed new sanctions on Iran in August, targeting its trade in gold and other precious metals, purchases of US dollars and its car industry.

China and Russia say they will do more to encourage their businesses to remain engaged with Iran. –