European export credits to Iran continue to generate U.S. criticism

A series of U.S. attacks on European ECA support for Iran highlight the importance given to export subsidies in U.S. foreign policy. The American Enterprise Institute on 21 May pushed for a divestment campaign, citing French, German and Japanese ECA support as well as that of major European commercial banks. On May 28, the National Council of Resistance of Iran in the UK, a body with links to the MEK, and led by Alireza Jafarzadeh, a self-described FOX News Channel foreign affairs analyst, noted that "continuing export guarantees to Iran mean that taxpayers in Europe are underwriting trade and investment that would otherwise be deterred by the risk of doing business with a rogue regime."