European powers tell U.S. to avoid military escalation with Iran

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Foreign ministers of European Union (EU) member states on Monday told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any escalation on the military side with Iran, the EU's top diplomat Federica Mogherini said.

"Mike Pompeo heard that very clearly from us, not only from myself, but also from the other ministers of EU member states, that we are living in crucial, delicate moments, where the most responsible attitude to take is – and we believe should be – maximum restraint, and avoiding any escalation on the military side," she told an evening press briefing.

During a meeting between France, Germany and the United Kingdom "we discussed the ways in which we can further advance on, for instance, the operationalization of INSTEX to have first transactions in the hopefully next few weeks," Mogherini added.

INSTEX, short for the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges, is established by three shareholders – France, Germany and the United Kingdom – and backed by the EU to overcome U.S. sanctions and conduct trade with Iran.

"There is full determination on the EU side, and also all the member states expressed that today very clearly, on continuing to implement in full the nuclear deal with Iran," she said.

U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up as Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban departs the White House in Washington, U.S., May 13, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Trump: Iran will 'suffer greatly' if it does anything

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Monday that Iran would "suffer greatly" if it were to "do anything."

"I'm hearing little stories about Iran," Trump told reporters as he hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House.

"If they do anything, it would be a very bad mistake," Trump warned. "If they do anything they will suffer greatly."

Pomepo didn't request the Europeans to tell Iran to make phone calls to the U.S., Mogherini said at the press briefing when asked by a reporter.

Pompeo shares details on Iran in Brussels

The U.S. special representative for Iran said that Pompeo shared information on Iran with European allies and NATO officials during meetings in Brussels.

"The secretary wanted to share some details behind what we have been saying publicly,” Brian Hook said. “We believe that Iran should try talks instead of threats. They have chosen poorly by focusing on threats.”

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo poses with Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt at the European Council in Brussels, Belgium, May 13, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Asked if Pompeo was blaming Iran for the attacks, Hook said: “We discussed... what seemed to be attacks on commercial vessels that were anchored off Fujairah... we have been requested by the UAE to provide assistance in the investigation, which we are very glad to do.”

Hunt: Standoff between Iran, U.S. could trigger conflict

Earlier on Monday morning, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned in Brussels that the standoff between Iran and the United States could trigger an unintended conflict.

"We are very worried about a conflict, about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended on either side," Hunt told reporters, adding, "I think there is a real concern that escalation is unintended could end up with a much more serious situation."

Tensions have been rising lately in the Gulf, with the U.S. sending an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the region.

The U.S., under President Trump, withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. The deal, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, was reached in 2015 between Iran, China, France, Russia, Britain, the United States and Germany.

The European signatories still support the deal and have vowed to sidestep U.S. sanctions re-imposed after its withdrawal.

(Cover, L-R: European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt pose before a meeting at the European Council in Brussels, Belgium, May 13, 2019. /Reuters Photo)

Source(s): AFP ,Reuters ,Xinhua News Agency