The EU’s Iran-focused sanctions policy is “dead in the water”
When negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program broke down during the Trump administration, the EU defiantly passed laws to protect its businesses from US sanctions. On paper, the so-called Blocking Statute asserted EU legal independence and offered a lifeline to Iran-related commercial interests. In practice, it bottlenecked the legal system, cost firms and taxpayers millions, and has become an irritation for those working in sanctions law. After seven years of operation, pundits across both Europe and Iran now describe it as a farce.