EU needs payment systems independent of US to keep Iran deal alive: Germany

Europe needs to set up payment systems independent of the United States if it wants to save the nuclear deal between Iran and major powers that was abandoned by President Donald Trump, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said.

“That’s why it is indispensable that we strengthen European autonomy by creating payment channels that are independent of the United States, a European Monetary Fund and an independent SWIFT system,” Mass wrote in the Handelsblatt business daily.

“Every day the deal is alive is better than the highly explosive crisis that would otherwise threaten the Middle East,” he added in the article to be published on Wednesday.