Iran's Bank Mellat plans to sue European Union governments for damages after a European court ruled to annul sanctions against the company, lawyers said on Wednesday. Europe's General Court said on Tuesday the EU had failed to provide enough evidence that Bank Mellat was linked to Iran's disputed nuclear progamme when the bloc targeted it with sanctions in July 2010, and ordered the measures annulled. EU governments may appeal the decision, and diplomats said broader European sanctions against Iranian banks could still limit Bank Mellat's ability to function in Europe. But lawyers for the bank, the biggest private sector lender in Iran, said the ruling meant it could resume trading in Europe. Bank Mellat "will now be able to commence trading internationally and try and draw back the losses incurred over the last three years since the sanctions were imposed," law firm Zaiwalla & Co said in a statement. "Furthermore, the bank will now look to claim damages from the EU Council." Sarosh
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