Sputnik News- Iran's President announced that Tehran could withdraw from the international nuclear deal within hours if the US continued to escalate its rhetoric about adding new anti-Iranian sanctions. Sputnik Radio discussed the statement with political scientist Edward Wastnidge, who explained why it is not in the interests of the Islamic Republic.




Iran could withdraw from�the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of�Action (JCPOA), commonly known�as�the nuclear deal, within�hours unless the United States abandons its policy of�economic pressure. This is what President Hassan Rouhani� told Iran's parliament in�a televised speech on�Tuesday.

The President said that US leader Donald Trump had proved to�be an unreliable partner to�Iran.

On Sunday, Iranian lawmakers endorsed an outline of�a bill to�enhance spending on�Tehran�s missile program as�a response to�the new sanctions imposed by�Washington.

President Trump signed the restrictive measures against�Tehran, which the US Congress passed into�law in�early August. Iran insists that its missile program does not violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of�Action, which limited Tehran�s nuclear capacities and lifted the international sanctions imposed on�the country.

Sputnik Radio discussed the issue with�Dr. Edward Wastnidge, a lecturer in�Politics and International Studies at�the UK-based Open University, who explained why it is not in�the interests of�the Islamic Republic to�abandon the agreement.

The announcement is obviously Rouhani's response to�the�aggressive moves against�Iran�by�the Trump administration, he told Sputnik. However, his country was party to�the international agreement, not just the one between�the US and Iran.
"Iran has shown quite a lot of�diplomatic analysis and it should keep it up. It would not be in�its interests to�quit the deal because it is an international agreement. The withdrawal from�the deal would certainly worsen US-Iran relations, but�what is more significant, it might lose the good will it has generated with�its European, Russian and Chinese partners," Dr. Wastnidge explained.


It is a tough game to�play, he said. Iran should weight the benefits of�maintaining an independent foreign policy, which is really vital to�Iran, against�the possibility of�international isolation and going along�the North Korean route.

The political scientist further elaborated that President Trump has been trying to�do everything he can to�maintain a tough stand against�the Islamic Republic. It may be also seen as�a ploy by�Trump to�provoke Iran into�responding.
Thus Rouhani's statement is not necessarily a bluff, but�it does not have popular support and has a 'cautious backing" by�the Supreme Leader. Thus Dr. Wastnidge suggested that Iran will try to�maintain its commitment to�the nuclear deal and take the moral high ground despite�the accusations that are coming from�Washington.


The expert also commented on�the stance of�President Trump, who has been a�vocal critic of�the nuclear deal�and an advocate of�new punitive measures against�Iran. The US leader, he said, seems to�care little for�the understanding of�t he reality of�the global politics. This is underscored by�his appeal to�Washington's traditional allies in�the Middle East: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, and others opposed to�Iranian interests in�the region. However, the US, he said, has to�acknowledge Iran's compliance with�the Joint Comprehensive Plan of�Action, otherwise it could affect the US reputation around�the world.

"Look at�the comments of�European leaders with�regards to�the Paris [climate] agreement and even with�regards to�Iran's nuclear deal. US credibility is being undermined," he said.
"We've seen the benefits of�skilled painstaking diplomacy pay off�with the nuclear deal, which is being undermined by�the barbaric and crude language of�the US. North Korea might then question why it should negotiate when the US shows that negotiations do not pay any dividends," Dr. Wastnidge concluded.