A French senator visiting Iran said on Sunday that European nations are seeking to ensure at least one Iranian bank stays connected to the world after the US imposed new sanctions against the country.
The European efforts to help Iranians benefit from the nuclear deal despite the US sanctions is "difficult but it's possible", said French Senator Philippe Bonnecarrere.
One way was "to have at least one Iranian bank remain connected to the international banking system through SWIFT to keep up commercial relations on goods or services that are not subject to sanctions," he added.
Bonnecarrere, who heads the France-Iran friendship group in the upper house of parliament, made the remarks during a news conference with French and Iranian counterparts.
Bonnecarrere was in Iran with six other members of the French parliament. The visit was a sign of "all the determination and all the will of France to keep alive the nuclear agreement," said one of the lawmakers.
Meanwhile, Taiwan's Mega International Commercial Bank will immediately terminate its payment clearing mechanism between Taiwan and Iran in a response to the United States' sanctions on Iran, a senior bank official told Reuters on Monday.
The official declined to be identified as he was not authorized to speak to the media. In August, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters Mega International Commercial Bank planned to terminate its payment clearing mechanism between Taiwan and Iran after November.