A U.S. State Department official warned that European companies will be “on the railroad tracks” and at risk of U.S. retaliation, if they would obey EU orders to defy Washington’s reimposed sanctions on Iran. In a report published by the U.S. Financial Times, the U.S. official was quoted as saying “Businesses that deal with the “enemy” in Iran will be barred from the US financial system.” The report further noted that U.S. officials have been holding talks with their counterparts in Europe, ahead of the planned re-imposition of a second wave of sanctions, scheduled to take effect on the 4th of November. The new wave of sanctions aim to target Iran’s oil exports and transactions with Tehran’s central bank. The EU has reacted with counter-measures, including a “blocking statute” that threatens European businesses with legal action if they comply with the American sanctions. The U.S. State Department official, who spoke to the Financial Times on condition of anonymity, underlined that ‘whomever decides to do business with an enemy of the United States of America must understand that they will not be doing business with the United States, and will not have access to the U.S. financial system.’ The official concluded by accusing the European Union of “taking away the free right of European companies to make a choice,” either to do business with Iran, or with the United States.