Trump to Decide Up or Down on Iran Nuclear Deal Tuesday
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
A May 12 deadline approaches. Trump said he’ll announce his decision on at 2:00 PM Tuesday – most likely nothing positive coming.
Senior Ayatollah Khamenei advisor Akbar Velayati warned if he abandons the JCPOA, “the Islamic Republic of Iran will undoubtedly take measures proportionate to conditions that they want to impose and will make (him) regret” pulling out of an international treaty agreed on by seven countries – supported by the world community.
Leaving the JCPOA would be further proof that Washington can’t be trusted – agreeing to one thing, then doing another, a pattern repeating with disturbing regularity.
Trump didn’t read the JCPOA. He knows nothing about what’s in it, let alone understanding how many years of talks went into consummating it.
All he knows is what his Iranophobic advisors told him. Calling the JCPOA “the worst deal ever” made him sound buffoon-like, an ignoramous.
He’ll likely exit the deal, followed by reimposing nuclear-related sanctions, effectively killing it.
Russia and China remain committed to supporting it. So do Britain, France and Germany. Last week, Angela Merkel said the deal should be broadened to include other issues, including its ballistic missile program and involvement in Syria.
France’s Macron and Theresa May have similar views. Macron warned Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA would “open a Pandora’s box,” adding “it could mean war.”
Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement, saying the EU will remain committed to the JCPOA even if Trump withdraws.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said “(w)e are determined to save this deal because this accord safeguards against nuclear proliferation and is the right way to stop Iran getting a nuclear weapon” – it abhors, doesn’t want, and supports a regional and world ban on these weapons.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass expressed support for the French position, saying “(w)e continue to believe that this agreement makes the world safer and without this agreement, the world would be less safe” – because of US-led NATO’s agenda, Israel’s and their rogue partners, not because of Iranian policies.
If Trump withdraws from the JCPOA as expected and reimposes nuclear-related sanctions, Britain, France, Germany and other EU nations will surely support them, breaching the spirit of the deal even while remaining committed to preserving it.
Iran sacrificed plenty for normalized relations with the West and sanctions relief. It’s gotten little back in return, losing scant benefits entirely if Washington reimposes nuclear-related sanctions and EU nations go along.
Tehran almost surely will reinstate pre-JCPOA nuclear activities, heightening tensions with the West and Israel, risking possible war, far more threatening to world peace than ongoing conflicts if things go in this direction.
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