TEHRAN (Tasnim) � The vice president of the European Parliament�s Delegation for Relations with the United States said Washington is �obstructing� the full implementation of a lasting nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

�Europe is being taken hostage by American policy,� Marietje Schaake said as quoted by the New York Times.

�We negotiated the nuclear deal together, but now the US is obstructing its execution,� she added.

According to Cyrus Razzaghi, the chief executive officer of Ara Enterprise, a Tehran-based consultancy, if the current banking obstacles are not removed, the deal will be jeopardized.

�The question is, now that the nuclear sanctions are lifted, what status quo will emerge when it comes to doing business with Iran?� said Razzaghi.

�Now everything is ambiguous. If the situation doesn�t change for the better � banking, more deals � for Iran this will be a growing risk for the deal.�

While the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), came into force in January, some Iranian officials have complained about the US failure to fully implement the accord.

Last month, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said Americans have yet to fulfill what they were supposed to do as per the nuclear deal.

Iran still has problems in its banking transactions or in restoring its frozen assets, because Western countries and those involved in such processes are afraid of Americans, Imam Khamenei said, criticizing the US for its moves to prevent Iran from taking advantage of the sanctions removal.

By Tasnim News Agency