PARIS/WASHINGTON/DUBAI, June 28 (Reuters) - European diplomats have told Iran they plan to retain European Union ballistic missile sanctions set to expire in October under the defunct 2015 Iran nuclear deal, four sources said, a step that could provoke Iranian retaliation.
The EU sanctions are set to expire on Oct. 18 under a U.N. resolution that enshrined the 2015 nuclear deal.
A second Iranian official brushed off the possibility of the sanctions remaining, saying Tehran had advanced its nuclear and missile programs for years despite Western sanctions.
NUCLEAR DEAL 'NO LONGER EXISTS'Britain's foreign ministry did not comment on whether the E3 planned to keep the sanctions or had told Iran of any decision.
Under the 2015 nuclear agreement, any party could trigger the "snapback" or return of all sanctions that it removed.
Persons:
Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Ali Bagheri Kani, Enrique Mora, Bagheri Kani, Mora, Nabila Massrali, Trump, Henry Rome, John Irish, Arshad Mohammed, Parisa, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold, Daniel Wallis
Organizations:
European Union, EU, . Security, Iranian, Reuters, Washington Institute for Near East, Thomson
Locations:
PARIS, WASHINGTON, DUBAI, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, Tehran, United States, Britain, China, France, Germany, Washington, Israel, Gulf, Western, Moscow, Abu Dhabi, EU, Doha, Iranian, British, European, U.S, Rome, Paris, Dubai, Brussels