A senior Iranian MP has said the European Union’s (EU’s) request to open a representative office in Tehran could be granted if Europe offers “certain economic support” for Iran in the face of the second-phase US sanctions aimed at the Islamic Republic, Tasnim News Agency reported on October 31.

Heshamtollah Falahatpisheh, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission—who serves as the legislature’s lead contact for the project to open an EU office in Iran’s capital—said Iran would be ready to host a representation from the 28-member European bloc if the EU moved ahead with its plans to help the country counter Washington’s economic assault.

“Today, the Europeans are standing alongside Iran in the political arena, and if such backing results in cooperation in the economic sphere as well, I believe that the conditions will be set for the opening of the EU office in our country in the current circumstances,” Falahatpisheh said.

The politician praised the EU for standing up to the US policy of attempting to strangle Iran’s economy to gain concessions from Tehran on its approach to Middle East affairs. On November 5, a second phase of heavy US sanctions, which will seek to block all Iranian oil, gas and petrochemical export sales, will come into effect, although some waivers are expected to be awarded to a handful of importers. Falahatpisheh observed that people should grasp that there is a long process involved when it comes to the EU arranging practical backing to maintain trade and investment with Iran.

Brussels has said that it hopes to very soon announce at least the “symbolic” launch of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) mechanism that would protect European companies that wished to continue to trade with Iran from secondary US sanctions. That would partly be achieved by ensuring transactions did not come into contact with the US financial system and attempting to shield the identities of those using the system.

The EU announced as far back as 2016 that it had plans to open an office in Tehran for direct liaison with Iran. However, countless EU missions to the country have failed to make much headway with the issue. Some hardline elements in Iran continue to insist that such an office would even amount to a form of neo-imperialism.

In November last year, Iranian First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri said the establishment of an EU office in Tehran was on the agenda of the foreign ministry. He said such a representation could facilitate the implementation of bilateral agreements.