29 Mar 2024
Wednesday 26 April 2017 - 16:50
Story Code : 258604

Trump vs. Tehran: 'Ripping up Iran deal would cause US credibility to plummet'

Sputnik News- The Trump administration is ramping up its anti-Iranian policy. This is evidenced by recent statements from President Trump himself, and those from other high-ranking US officials. What are the 'sins' Washington is accusing Tehran of committing? Just how far will the White House be able to go? How will Tehran react? Sputnik Persian investigates.


Last week, US President Donald Trump accused Iran offailing tocomply withthe 2015 Iran nuclear deal, adding that this would receive a response fromthe United States. Trump also directed the US National Security Council toconduct a review ofwhether the Iran nuclear deal is inline withUS interests.

Trump's comments were part ofa series ofremarks made bysenior US officials. Secretary ofState Rex Tillerson accused Iran ofsponsoring terrorism, and blamed the Obama administration forhaving "bought off" Iran's nuclear ambitions temporarily, an argument which Tel Aviv has been making foryears.

Also last week, inthe course ofhis tour ofSaudi Arabia and other countries inthe Middle East, Defense Secretary James Mattis accused Tehran ofcausing "trouble" "everywhere you look" inthe region.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="626"]U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis departs after meeting with Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the Ministry of Defense in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia April 19, 2017 U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis departs after meeting with Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the Ministry of Defense in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia April 19, 2017.[/caption]

Speaking to Sputnik Persian aboutthe root ofthe Trump team's hostility toIran, political scientist and Middle East expert Vladimir Sazhin explained that a lot ofit comes downto Trump's hostility toPresident Obama.
"The main complaint ofthe new administration is directed not so much atIran asit is tothe Obama administration and its success withthe Iran nuclear deal. President Trump, showing a great deal ofhostility towardObama, has been unable torecognize the merits ofhis predecessor, including the achievement ofthe historical agreement onthe Iranian nuclear, which was reached bythe five permanent members ofthe UN Security, Germany and Iran."


With this inmind, the question that naturally arises is will the US be able toabandon the 2015 nuclear agreement, asTrump has promised toconsider doing? According toIranian observers, the answer is: 'it's doubtful'.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="499"]A Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was reached concerning Iran's nuclear program in Lausanne, Switzerland, June 2015. A Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was reached concerning Iran's nuclear program in Lausanne, Switzerland, June 2015.[/caption]

Speaking toSputnik Persian, Kazem Sajjadpour, president ofthe Iranian Institute forPolitical and International Studies, emphasized that the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan ofAction (JCPOA) was "an international deal, concluded inthe framework ofinternational law and withthe participation ofthe UN Security Council.

"The multilaterally agreed-upon framework behindthis deal is not that easy torevise, and changing the core essence ofthe agreement is simply impossible," the expert stressed.

With this inmind, Sputnik Persian suggested that Trump will be unlikely tobreak the agreement, sinceit is an international treaty. "Leaving the agreement ina unilateral manner would be too adventurist, even forTrump, because the credibility and image ofthe US would plummet throughoutthe world, including inthe eyes ofAmerica's European allies."

"All those who took part inthe negotiations and creation ofthis nuclear agreement (the United Kingdom, France, Germany) supported and support the JCPOA," Sputnik Persian recalled. "Moreover, nearly the entire European Union is interested inthis international deal, and ondeveloping trade and economic relations withIran."

Effectively, Iranian observers say that all that is left forTrump todo is toslow the process ofthe deal's implementation, and nothing more.

At the same time, Sputnik Persian admitted that Washington's anti-Iranian rhetoric certainly isn't likely todie downunder Trump, "especially sinceTrump has other opportunities tomake accusations againstTehran forexample, overthe Iranian missile program."

Naturally, Washington's claims that the missile program is a violation ofthe nuclear deal isn't exactly logical, sincethe JCPOA makes no mention ofany ban onmissile testing, while UN Security Council Resolution 2231, referring toIran's nuclear program, does not categorically call onIran torefrain fromthe development ofits missile program, butmerely appeals toTehran todo so.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="565"]Iranian military trucks carry surface-to-air missiles during a parade on the occasion of the country's Army Day, on April 18, 2017, in Tehran Iranian military trucks carry surface-to-air missiles during a parade on the occasion of the country's Army Day, on April 18, 2017, in Tehran.[/caption]

Sputnik Persian stressed that even if Iran is compelled to wind down its missile development program, this will be possible only via "discussions and settlement only in the format of international negotiations, with the approval of the United Nations, and where Iran, naturally, is a participant."

As forWashington's other major claim: that Iran is supports terrorism viaits support forHezbollah and Hamas (which Western countries, butneither Russia nor China, see asterrorist groups), Tehran has made clear its position that it will support those forces which it believes are engaged ina struggle fornational liberation.

Ultimately, Sputnik Persian suggested that the US has now returned tothe pre-Obama status quo ofclose ties withits traditional allies Israel and Saudi Arabia, and toa certain extent Turkey. "The allied rapprochement betweenthe US and these countries automatically implies a deterioration ofrelations withIran, their main enemy."

"Despite a noticeable about-face turn away fromTehran, it's likely that the White House has yet tofully and clearly formulate its Iran policy. There is little doubt that this will be a tough anti-Iranian policy which may perhaps include the introduction ofnew sanctions. At the same time however, it is doubtful that these sanctions will have kind ofgrave character they did in2012-2016. And a resolution ofthe 'Iranian problem' byforce is impossible toimagine, even given the sharp aggravation inUS-Iranian relations observable today."

For now, Sputnik Persian noted, "Tehran remains calm." Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has described the recent statements byUS officials as "repetitive and useless rhetoric," and asan elaborate anti-Iranian policy based onIranophobia and a failure tounderstand the state ofaffairs inthe region.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="603"]Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, October 28, 2016 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, October 28, 2016.[/caption]

Still, US hostility could lead toa rise inanti-American attitudes inIran aswell, which could be manifested inpresidential elections next month, Sputnik Persian stressed.

"It's interesting tonote that the radically-oriented members ofthe Trump administration and Iranian conservatives are nearly unanimous intheir criticism ofthe JCPOA. That is, Trump and his team play tothe interests ofthe opponents ofliberal Iranian president Hassan RouhaniMoreover, this anti-Iranian policy, combined withthe arrival ofa radical conservative tothe Iranian presidency could trigger Iran's own withdrawal fromthe JCPOA, and the simultaneous resumption and intensification ofthe nuclear program, withoutIAEA control. All ofthis is fraught withunpredictable, catastrophic consequences."
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