JCPOA Nuclear Deal on Life Support

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Trump's illegal withdrawal from the unanimously adopted agreement by Security Council members, making it binding international law, risks dissolution of the deal altogether.

Year of efforts crafting it will be for naught if things turn out this way. The deal is meaningless if Iran, Russia, and China alone observe its provisions.

It's how things turned out so far. Signatories Britain, France, Germany, and the EU support the deal rhetorically alone, breaching their commitments by failing to fulfill their pledges.

Iran may be heading toward leaving the deal for assuming its obligations without receiving entitled benefits under it.

Last Sunday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi slammed the EU, saying:

"We are convinced that Europe's lack of commitment to its JCPOA undertakings was not because of its incapability, but lack of determination," adding:

"Europe is not ready to pay any cost for preserving the JCPOA. The European companies dare not to disobey the US Treasury Department's orders, which means Europe's lack of sovereignty, even inside its own borders" — its member states operating like US colonies, their sovereignty abandoned to its interests.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif slammed illegal Trump regime sanctions, tweeting on Thursday: They "aren't (an) alternative to war; they ARE war" — what I call war by other means.

Iran intends to continue scaling down its JCPOA commitments because of Europe's breach of trust, a national and irreversible decision, Araqchi stressed.

On May 8, the one-year anniversary of Trump's pullout, Iran notified other JCPOA signatories that it would suspend some of its commitments under the deal in 60 days if Europe didn't honor its commitments — what hasn't happened so far, no solid indication of things changing.

Britain, France, Germany, and Brussels demand that Iran continue to fulfill its JCPOA obligations while abrogating them themselves.

During a Wednesday Security Council session on the JCPOA, Russian UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia slammed the Trump regime's pullout and reimposition of illegal nuclear-related sanctions, saying the actions "undermine(d) the capability of Iran to uphold the provisions of these documents," adding:

"Iran faithfully complies with its part of obligations under the JCPOA. Numerous reports by the IAEA Director General prove this." 

"(T)he JCPOA has become a pivotal tool of promoting the global non-proliferation regime, and Iran has become one of the most verifiable countries of the world."

"There is only one way to preserve the Plan. All the remaining member states should scrupulously observe the obligations they voluntarily took upon."

Otherwise the deal may be doomed, precisely what Trump regime hardliners aim for, likely intending to use the deal's unraveling to claim Iran is now free to develop nuclear weapons no evidence whatever suggests it seeks.

Under this scenario, US aggression against Iran is more likely — on the phony pretext of preventing the country from obtaining nukes it doesn't want while ignoring nuclear armed and dangerous Israel, a global menace along with the US, NATO, and their other imperial partners.

"(T)he unique potential of the JCPOA (is) threatened," Nebenzia warned, heightening the risk of devastating war, endangering global security, because EU countries failed to fulfill their obligations.

The Trump regime threatened "to deliver an overwhelming military response," against Iran, a nation at peace with its neighbors, threatening no one.

Nebenzia: "We stand for keeping the JCPOA. We also want Iran to remain committed to this agreement." 

"However, we understand the deep disappointment of Tehran with the latest developments, whereby Iran is told to fully implement the commitments, and is not offered anything in return."

"(T)his happens against the backdrop of Washington willing to strangle Iran with economic sanctions, to say nothing of military threats." 

"All the participants of the JCPOA should make real, not demonstrative steps and efforts so that Iran could understand why it implement the JCPOA commitments. This is the legitimate claim of Tehran."

Trump regime aims are polar opposite what Nebenzia stressed above. Actions alone matter. 

European countries showed their double standard by demanding Iran fulfill its JCPOA commitments while they fail to fulfill theirs.

Dissolution of the agreement could open the gates of hell for war Trump regime hardliners long wanted.

Longstanding plans call for returning Iran to US client state status, gaining control over its vast oil and gas reserves, along with eliminating Israel's main regional rival — no matter the cost in human lives and welfare.

Note: US military build-up in the Middle East continues. Is it ahead of unrevealed Trump regime plans for war on Iran while falsely claiming to seek peace? 

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