Sputnik - Participants of the Iranian nuclear deal have confirmed their commitment to the deal. Speaking after a meeting in Vienna on Friday, the participants expressed their determination to carry on implementing the accord. Sputnik discussed the issue with Foad Izadi, a professor of political communication with the University of Tehran.




Sputnik: The first reaction by�Iran's President Hassan Rouhani to�what was proposed by�the Europeans was disappointment. What would Iran like�to see in�the deal that is made to�preserve the original deal?

Foad Izadi:�It's very complicated. The Iranian government gets about�30% of�its annual budget from�oil sales and what Iran wants from�Europe is [for it] to�continue purchasing Iranian oil like�before, and the sanctions that the US wants to�impose on�Iran are illegal. It's illegal to�sanction a member of�the United Nations without�a UN Security Council resolution. There is no UN Security Council resolution that prohibits countries from�buying Iranian oil, so what the US is doing is illegal, but�what Iran wants from�Europe is that they should get the get the money back from�those sales, and generally the money that Iran gets back from�the countries that Iran sells oil to, they use that money to�buy products and goods from�that country. So if Iran is selling oil to�Europe, Iran will buy European products using that oil money. Under the nuclear agreement, Iranian banking transactions were supposed to�be free from�sanctions from�the United States, but�the United States cut out�of the nuclear agreement without�any reason. You know that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has certified ten times already that Iran has been compliant with�the nuclear agreement. The fact that the Trump administration cut out�of the agreement has nothing to�do with�Iran's performance, because Iran was doing what it was supposed to�do. It has something to�do with�Trump wanting to�destroy Obama's legacy, there are some lobbying groups in�the US that would like�to see some sort of�military or a non-military confrontation between�Iran and the United States and now that they�re out, not only are they prohibiting American companies from�working with�Iran, they're putting pressure on�European companies, Russian companies, Chinese companies and other companies. This is also against�international law.

Sputnik: You mentioned that a lot of�the things that the US is doing are in�fact illegal according to�international law. Is it expected that Iran will bring this to�an international court and question it?

Foad Izadi:�Yes, Iran will follow through�using legal tools in�terms of�going to�international courts to�prove the US' illegal activities. Iran also does have a problem at�the United Nations because the US is a permanent member of�the Security Council, so Iran cannot table a resolution condemning the United States, because the US can veto that resolution. So there�s some limitations on�what Iran can do in�the Security Council, but�the best way to�make sure that Trump fails in�his foreign policy is to�make sure Trump is alone in�terms of�the policies that he tries to�implement against�Iran. Even despite�the fact that Iran was doing what it was supposed to�do.

Sputnik: Although the European partners, both Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, have stated that they�re very committed to�preserving the deal, there have been various European companies that have already come out�and said that, �we will not be able to�go through�with our previously agreed-upon deals to�do business with�Iran for�fear of�losing American business.� To what extent is that a problem?

Foad Izadi:�At the end of�the day, when Iran engages in�economic activities, because of�Iran�s wealth, the number of�people that live here, [sanctions] generally target major projects. For example, you cannot finance major projects with�small banks, they just won�t have the financial back up�to do that. So major companies can then come under�pressure from�the United States to�leave Iran, then that's obviously a serious problem. Companies are created to�make money and Iran's market is quite good because of�many years of�sanctions.

Sputnik: What�s your assessment of�possible measures that Iran could take to�withstand US economic pressure?

Foad Izadi:�Iranian President Rouhani mentioned this idea, but�he did not use this [exact] terminology, he said that if Iran cannot sell oil then others in�this region will face the same difficulty. The message that he had, given that at�the oil market, oil is $70 some dollars, much more expensive than�what we had in�previous years, in�order for�the US to�actually become successful in�terms of�implementing its policies some governments, it forces some governments, like�the Saudi government, to�produce about�2 million of�barrels of�extra oil to�be able to�offset Iran's not selling oil, not being able to�sell oil. So in�order for�Trump to�succeed, countries like�Saudi Arabia, the UAE need to�cooperate with�the United States in�this economic warfare against�Iran. And the basic message that the Iranian President had was that: if you engage in�economic warfare against�Iran, that warfare is not going to�be cost-free.