International experts negatively assess Washington's idea to review Iran nuclear deal

Oct. 18, 2017 - PRLog -- President of the United States Donald Trump called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), adopted by the permanent members of the UN Security Council, the high representative of the European Union, Germany and Iran in 2015, "one of the worst" and the most unfavorable deals Washington has ever entered into, and condemned the withdrawal of sanctions from Tehran.

"We got weak inspections in exchange for no more than a purely short-term and temporary delay in Iran's path to nuclear weapons. […] That is why I am directing my administration to work closely with Congress and our allies to address the deal's many serious flaws so that the Iranian regime can never threaten the world with nuclear weapons," Donald Trump said in his TV speech on 13 October 2017.

Commenting on the statement of the American leader, the speaker of the Iranian parliament Ali Larijani said it was irresponsible.

"It seems that Mr. Trump not only does not adhere to international agreements, but does not feel respect for the UN and demonstrates to all countries that the US government will not adhere to any obligations," the Iranian politician said at the Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in St. Petersburg.

In turn, the leaders of France, Britain and Germany expressed confidence that the agreement meets "shared national security interest" and stated that they are concerned about Donald Trump's decision on Iran.

"We, the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom take note of President Trump's decision not to recertify Iran's compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to Congress and are concerned by the possible implications," President Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Theresa May said in a joint statement.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also commented on the US position on the JCPOA announced by the head of the White House.

"Two years ago, an agreement was reached on the Iranian nuclear program, and it was approved by the UN Security Council, the whole world welcomed it. Now Washington is withdrawing from it, this is again the problem of negotiability as a foreign policy value," he said at the World Festival of Youth and Students in Sochi.

Meanwhile, Israel and Saudi Arabia, which are known for their attitude towards Iran, welcomed the new approach of the United States in this matter.

Analyzing the difficult situation around Tehran, Azadeh Zamirirad, Senior Associate, Research Division Middle East and Africa, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said the JCPOA is the most effective tool we currently have to verify that Iran´s nuclear activities are for civilian – peaceful – purposes only.

"Without it, we would go back to a state of uncertainty among the neighbors, thus adding to the risks of nuclear proliferation in the region. Decertification as part of a new US strategy does not have to end in the dissolution of the agreement. As long as Washington does not re-impose nuclear-related sanctions against Iran, there is still a good chance to keep the agreement intact and strive for common solutions," the analyst told PenzaNews.

He also reminded that the JCPOA is not a bilateral agreement between the US and Iran.

"The nuclear agreement is the product of intensive negotiations among not two but eight parties and is backed by a UN Security Council resolution. The United States cannot single-handedly topple the deal if all other parties are serious about remaining committed," Azadeh Zamirirad stressed.

Joe Brazda, Research Associate, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, called the JCPOA a landmark agreement.

Source: https://penzanews.ru/en/analysis/64647-2017