Kerry says businesses using US sanctions as excuse to avoid Iran

Businesses around the world are using the United States as an excuse to avoid doing business with Iran, US Secretary of State John Kerry says Tuesday as he declared the Iranian Republic “open for business” for European banks.

Kerry, ahead of a meeting on Iran with European bankers, says it is unfair and inaccurate for businesses to blame US sanctions for their decision to stay away. He says the US had an obligation to live up to the nuclear deal with Iran by clarifying what’s now permitted as a result of that accord.

“If they don’t want to do business or they don’t see a good business deal, they shouldn’t say, ‘Oh, we can’t do it because of the United States,” Kerry tells reporters in London. “We sometimes get used as an excuse in this process.”

The top US diplomat’s comments came as the US works to address Iran’s complaints that it hasn’t received the sanctions relief it was promises in exchange for rolling back its nuclear program. Under the deal, broad US sanctions on Iran’s economy were removed, clearing the way for foreign companies to do business with most Iranian companies.

— AP