BICOM

The US rejected a Russian offer to trade a US commitment to ease Iran sanctions in return for Iran agreeing to redeploy its forces in Syria.

US National Security Advisor John Bolton said that his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev repeated the offer when they met this week. The suggestion was originally made to Israel, France and Germany, to put geographical restrictions on Iranian forces in Syria in exchange for the US suspending the imposition of oil sanctions set for early November. “That was a suggestion we had rejected before and rejected it again today,” Bolton said. Bolton added that the Trump administration’s objective was to “put maximum pressure on the regime” by making sanctions “more extensive and more effective”.

During his recent trip to Israel, Bolton told reporters that the re-imposition of US sanctions is, “having a significant effect on Iran’s economy and on, really, popular opinion inside Iran”. However, he cautioned that Iranian activity in the region continues to be destabilising.

Bolton also told Patrushev that the US believes all Iranian forces in Syria should return to Iran.

Speaking to media in Geneva after his meeting with Patrushev, Bolton said that such an objective is one “President Putin would share,” but added that “it is far from easy to achieve”.

Yesterday, the European Commission approved an €18m package for economic projects and social development in Iran, including €8m in assistance to the private sector. The announcement is regarded as part of the EU’s efforts to convince Iran to remain in the JCPOA nuclear deal after the US pulled out in May.

The EU’s top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, said: “Since the renewal of  EU-Iran relations as a result of the Iran nuclear deal, cooperation has developed in many sectors. We are committed to sustain it and this new package will widen economic and sectoral relations in areas that are of direct benefit to our citizens”.

British Airways (BA) and Air France announced yesterday that they will cease flights to Iran next month saying the route was no longer “commercially viable”. BA resumed the service to Tehran two years ago after a four-year suspension. The last flight will be on 22 September, returning the next day. Air France will stop all fights on 18 September. Dutch airline KLM said last month that it would also suspend flights from Amsterdam to Iran from September.