TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Saturday that the European Union is captive to the U.S. economy.

“The European Union and even the three European parties to the (nuclear) deal with Iran are captive and hostage to the American economy, so they need to decide for their independence,” Press TV quoted him as saying.

He added, “European countries should pay for their independence from the United States, because doing so cannot be without costs, especially for the implementation of important historical tasks such as the SPV, which could be a major milestone for European solidarity on the global stage; so the European countries need to make a decision at this point and juncture.”

The SPV is a European Union’s initiative intended to protect trade with Iran against newly reimposed U.S. sanctions.

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has said that work to save the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, will be continued in 2019.

Qassemi said while the Europeans started with goodwill and showed a “positive political will” to set up a financial mechanism, “over time and during negotiations over the past months, they are reinforcing the impression that the European states face a series of serious disabilities in implementing the SPV.”

The Foreign Ministry spokesman says Iran has fulfilled its obligations under the JCPOA and its patience is running thin.

He noted that Iran has fulfilled its obligations under the JCPOA and its patience is running thin.

Under the nuclear agreement signed in July 2015, Iran agreed to put limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for termination of economic and financial sanctions.

Since the nuclear pact went into force in January 2016, the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency has issued 13 consecutive reports each time confirming that Iran is fully abiding by the terms of the international accord.

‘Pompeo’s remarks are totally wrong’

Commenting on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent controversial claim that sanctions were aimed at giving the Iranian people a chance to have better lives, Qassemi said the remarks are totally wrong.

“The U.S. imposition of sanctions against the Iranian nation with the logic of improving their lives is hurting the sentiments of Iranians and is totally wrong,” he said.

“Hence, Pompeo should watch the mood in which he speaks. Is it possible to sanction the Iranian people and, like they [U.S. authorities] say, exert more pressure on them in order to bring more relief to them?” Qassemi said.

NA/PA