The European Union (EU)'s measures to preserve the landmark Iran nuclear deal are motivated by security interests rather than economic interests, the bloc's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters Monday.
She made the remarks at a press conference following the EU's monthly Foreign Affairs Council.
Regarding the EU's economic commitments to Iran, she said: "For us, this is not about economic interest; this is about security interests for the EU."
"Because in the absence of the deal with Iran, we believe the security of the region and the EU will be at stake," she said.
"We see no possible ways to have better security conditions in the region if the agreement is not in place any longer," she stressed.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump announced U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Mogherini has, on different occasions, reaffirmed the EU's stance that it will stick to the deal as long as Iran abides by all its nuclear-related commitments.
To salvage the JCPOA, the European Commission on May 18 proposed activation of a dormant statute to shield European firms doing business with Iran from renewed U.S. sanctions.
The 1996 Blocking Statute forbids EU companies from complying with the U.S. sanctions.
The U.S. government has threatened to punish foreign firms doing business with Iran after certain 90-day and 180-day wind-down periods.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Sunday that if Iran's interests and benefits from the JCPOA are guaranteed, the country will remain committed to it.
The JCPOA was signed in July 2015 by Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus the European Union (EU) and Germany.
Under the deal, Iran agreed to freeze its nuclear programs in return for the lifting of most international sanctions.
Trump declared on May 8 in a televised speech that the United States would withdraw from the deal, claiming that it had failed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons or supporting terrorism in the region.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Iran has so far complied with all of the conditions established under the deal.
