with us is christopher granville of ts lombard.ns, what is the difference between these sanctions and sanctions sanctions with russia for example? >> they are more extreme than the sanctions with russia, at least if you factor in today's batch with the second installment coming in november with iran's oil export trade and its whole financial sector will be banned by the united states. that makes the sanctions with russia even the latest once seem relatively mild. this is designed to threaten the iranian economy. the u.s. for all of its power is, as resident rouhani said, isolated. particularly the european union is pushing back. tom: if we get to a fragility of the iranian government, whatever that means, can europe step in and assist mr. rouhani? are they removed as we are? >> i don't think the european union has particular influence either way. it is more for their own purposes they wish to uphold an international agreement which is still valid, with which the parties, particularly iran, are still complying as a matter of princip

christopher granville, managing director of global political research at ts lombard joins me now.iven a picture as to what is coming in at this stage and that is coming in at this stage and that is the reality for some of these huge companies who thought now is the time, we can get acting to —— back into iran. they cannot afford it. in 2015, the so-called nuclear deal and joint plan of action gave the green light to reopen investment and trade in iran for all companies around the world, especially europe, which has historically close trade investment lyrics with iran. so in a went. —— they went. before the previous sanctions period, you mentioned some of the companies, it is mainly europe, there are some japanese and other asian oil trading interests in iran and they will be vulnerable in november. at the moment, it is europe, hence the interest in this so—called eu blocking statute, which was dusted off yesterday by the eu and the three major member states of the eu that negotiated and signed the jcpoa, that is the uk not following the us line for a change, germany and france. th