Official Downplays Effects of Maersk’s Halt of Business with Iran

“Maersk had nearly the least activities at Iranian ports as a major part of the operations and transportation of goods is done by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines,” Haqshenas told FNA on Saturday.

“Maersk’s presence or absence will leave not much impact on the Iranian ports,” he added.

Haqshenas said before the nuclear deal and when Iran was under cruel sanctions, Maersk was among the first to leave Iranian ports, but its halt of operation brought no major problem to the country.

Maersk said Thursday it would shut down its business in Iran to abide with re-imposed US sanctions after Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal.

US President Donald Trump announced earlier this month that the US would no longer remain part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and promised to re-impose the highest level of economic sanctions against Iran in response to Tehran’s development of its nuclear program.

EU Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete underlined on Saturday that the block was making its best efforts to stand up to the US sanctions against the companies that were willing to cooperate with Iran.

“The US withdrawal from the nuclear deal is not effective. We are endeavoring to maintain economic cooperation between the EU and Iran under this (nuclear) agreement,” Canete said in a joint press conference with Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi in Tehran.

He said that the European states would attempt to nullify the US sanctions and punishments against the companies willing to cooperate with Iran.

“The EU will act upon all its undertakings and we have stated to our Iranian friends that we will remain committed to the implementation of the nuclear deal’s contents and declare again that the EU will stand against the US and its defiance,” Canete underscored.