A special adviser to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini blamed the United States on Tuesday for a rise in tensions between Iran and the West.
”This is happening for one reason that has not been cited so far, which is the fact that the United States has violated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, meaning the Iran deal,” Nathalie Tocci said on BBC radio’s Today program, telling the U.S.: ”You’re not living up to your side of the bargain.”
The EU has shied away from endorsing U.S assertions that Iran was definitely responsible for the attacks on the tankers. But Tocci said it is reasonable to assume it had carried out the attacks.
”We still don’t have actually verifiable proof as to exactly what happened and who did what,” she said, before adding: ”I think it is reasonable to expect that Iran, although it is denying it, has indeed done it.”
Tocci continued: ”I think it is a response, and not a particularly extreme or radical response, but it definitely is a response, to what it [Tehran] views as being a U.S. escalation in the Gulf. And this is a very dangerous situation, because obviously escalation leads to retaliation.” Läs artikel