President Donald Trump’s sanctions are having the opposite effect on Iran as the Iranian government has decided to suspend parts of the nuclear deal in response and threatened to pull out of it entirely in 60 days if other signatories of the deal fail to live to their obligations.
Iran reached the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action deal with the Obama administration in 2015 and has faithfully complied with it ever since, thus being prevented from developing a nuclear weapon and becoming a nuclear threat.
But since Trump’s decision to withdraw from the deal without cause and slap sanctions on Iran again, the Iranian economy is suffering, especially since our allies and signatories of the deal are also starting to pull back from their commitments out of fear of retaliation. And that is why Iran has decided to suspend parts of the deal to start enriching uranium again.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran does not at the current stage consider itself committed to observing restrictions regarding storing enriched uranium stocks and heavy water stocks,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement. “The remaining parties to the JCPOA are given 60 days to implement their commitments, in particular in the fields of banking and oil. In the next stage, Iran will also stop observing restrictions on the level of uranium enrichment and measures regarding modernizing Arak heavy water reactor. The window which is now open for diplomacy will not remain so for long, and the responsibility of the JCPOA failing and any possible consequences are completely on the US and the remaining parties.”
Clearly, Trump’s sanctions are to blame for the breakdown. Had he kept the United States in the deal, Iran would not be suspending parts of it now. But the unwarranted economic pressure has forced their hand.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared that Iran is hoping to save the deal by pressuring the signatories to live up to their end of the bargain regardless of Trump’s petty threats.
“We felt the JCPOA needed surgery and that the year-long sedatives have not delivered any result. This surgery is meant to save the JCPOA not destroy it,” he said.
“You have responsibilities, too … for keeping your youth away from drugs, the flood of immigrants and other cooperation Iran has had with you so far,” he continued, speaking directly to Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. “If this trend continues, the cooperation will cease.”
This move comes after Trump ordered an aircraft carrier group to the region, setting the stage for possible war to break out, which Trump has been threatening and Israel is obsessed with starting.
The nuclear deal is not perfect, but it has kept Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. But seeing as how Trump is treating North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un with deference while floating economic sanctions relief, Iran can’t be blamed for thinking that having nuclear weapons of their own may be the only way to secure economic relief. Trump thinks diplomacy is about threats and going back on our word. He’s about to learn a hard lesson.
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