EU's aid to Iran shows US alone in opposing deal

The European Union's decision to give Iran more than 18 million euros ($20.6 million) in development aid to counter the effects of US sanctions is a courageous as well as welcome move.

It is also a sign of how the US hard-line policy toward Iran and its unilateral scrapping of the multilateral Iranian nuclear deal are perceived as perverse mistakes by the rest of the international community.

The aid package, which was revealed on Thursday, focuses on sustainable economic and social development, including support for small and medium-sized enterprises, environmental projects and those countering the harm of drugs. It is the EU's latest attempt to uphold the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran nuclear deal.