RFERL:

The United States increased pressure on Iran Thursday by renewing warnings to European businesses intending to interact with the country and voiced support for Iranians protesting policies of the Islamic Republic.

U.S. Special Representative Brian Hook waned on Thursday that European banks and firms who engage in a special European Union initiative to protect trade with Iran will be at risk from newly reimposed U.S. sanctions.

It is "no surprise" that EU efforts to establish a so-called Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) were floundering over fear in EU capitals that hosting it would incur U.S. punishment, Special Representative Brian Hook said.

"European banks and European companies know that we will vigorously enforce sanctions against this brutal and violent regime," he said in a telephone briefing with reporters.

"Any major European company will always choose the American market over the Iranian market."

Hook also released a short video on Twitter, subtitled in Persian, outlining how the Islamic Republic has lost the trust of the Iranian people over the past four decades and said Washington supports their protests aimed at changing the policies of their government.

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