Roundup: U.S. withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal triggers worried reactions in Italy

ROME, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran has triggered worried reactions among officials and analysts in Italy, which has long-established political and economic ties with Iran, and is its main trading partner within the European Union (EU).

U.S. President Donald Trump made the announcement Tuesday, specifying that Washington would soon re-impose "the highest level of economic sanctions" on Iran.

"The accord with Iran must be preserved, it contributes to security in the region and restrains nuclear proliferation," Italy's caretaker Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni tweeted Tuesday.

"Italy stands with its European allies in confirming the commitments made," he added.

At a press conference a few hours earlier in Rome, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini confirmed that the EU would stand by the landmark deal.

The agreement -- formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- was signed between Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, the United States, Britain, France and Russia), Germany and the EU in 2015.

It froze the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for a gradual normalization of economic and political relations with the international community and the end of sanctions.

On Wednesday, all major Italian media outlets considered Trump's decision, in most cases with concern.

"Actually, the first not to abide by the deal has been the U.S., which kept imposing secondary sanctions on European and Western banks providing loans to Iran," senior foreign affairs analyst Alberto Negri wrote in Il Manifesto newspaper.

"The U.S. has prevented the capital flows expected by moderate President Hassan Rouhani from reaching Iran (since the deal was signed)," he added.

This helped weaken the moderate Iranian leader and benefited the more uncompromising conservative Iranian politicians.

The analyst said the economic consequences will be worrying for Iran, since the new U.S. sanctions are likely to hit its crucial energy industry.

"At full capacity, Iran's South Pars gas field would produce enough to cover Europe's annual consumption. But with the U.S. and its allies' plans, this gas cannot reach Mediterranean shores."

Il Sole 24 Ore, Italy's leading business daily, also wondered what was to be expected from now on.

"It is a matter of evaluating many potential collateral effects of this step... not just on Iran, but on the economy and companies at a global level," analyst Marco Valsania noted.

A bigger question, the analyst added, would be how this major shift of the United States affects global diplomacy, with some observers thinking Trump's move could be successful, and others fearing a new nuclear proliferation and more conflicts.

Trump would aim at starving and isolating Iran again in order to force it to return to negotiations in a weaker state, the analyst said.

According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the bilateral trade exceeded 3 billion euros (3.56 billion U.S. dollars) in the first nine months of 2017, increasing by more than half in value compared to the same period in 2016. Enditem