No Better Deal Than the JCPOA

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

It was years in the making before agreed on and adopted. There's no JCPOA 2.0 coming, Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif stressed, tweeting the following:

"#B_Team sold @realDonaldTrump on the folly that killing #JCPOA thru #EconomicTerrorism can get him a better deal."

"As it becomes increasingly clear that there won't be a better deal, they're bizarrely urging Iran's full compliance. There's a way out, but not with #B_Team in charge."

Zarif-identified Trump regime's B Team members include John Bolton, Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, Abu Dhabi crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Israeli PM Netanyahu. 

He also said: "You (Pompeo) continue to do the same thing at State," responding to his remark when as CIA director, he said: "We lied. We cheated. We stole."

There's no ambiguity about longstanding bipartisan aims in Washington to return Iran to US client state status under US-installed puppet rule — wanting control over gained over its vast hydrocarbon reserves for Big Oil to exploit.

Tehran's legitimate nuclear program has no military component, not now or earlier. The world community knows its ruling authorities abhor nukes, considering their existence hostile to Islam.

Claims otherwise are bald-faced Big Lies, pushed by US and Israeli hardliners, along with AIPAC — its hostile unregistered foreign agent deceptively tweeting on Monday:

Iran "is once again demonstrating why it can't be trusted with a nuclear weapons capability (sic). Iran's ability to easily advance its nuclear program at its own pace and choosing is cause for concern (sic)."

"We cannot allow the world's leading state sponsor of terror (sic) to enrich the uranium necessary to build a nuclear weapon (sic)." 

"The burden is on (Iran) to end its illicit nuclear program (sic)…Congress and the (Trump regime) should work together to enforce (illegal) crippling sanctions on" Tehran — to enforce unlawful collective punishment on its people.

Global menace AIPAC, Israel, the US, and their imperial partners threaten world peace, security and stability.

They're silent about Israel's open secret arsenal of nukes, chemical, biological and other banned weapons. 

The same goes for the US stockpile of prohibited weapons, used against targeted nations in all its wars of aggression.

In response to the US and Europe breaching their JCPOA obligations, the Trump regime a lost cause, Britain, France, Germany, and the EU refusing to break with its lawless agenda on Iran, Tehran's Atomic Energy Organization Behrouz Kamalvandi spokesman explained the following on Monday:

Iran's uranium enrichment reached 4.5%, exceeding the agreed on 3.67% limit, providing other JCPOA signatories fulfill their commitments under the deal, clearly not the case.

"Twenty percent (enrichment) is not needed now, but if we want we will produce it. When we've put aside 3.67% enrichment we have no obstacle or problem with this action," Kamalvandi added.

"There is the 20% option and there are options even higher than that but each in its own place." 

"Today if our country's needs are one thing, we won't pursue something else just to scare the other side a little more. But they know it's an upward trend," including an increase in the number of centrifuges, unless Europe fulfills its obligations.

On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang slammed "unilateral (Trump regime) bullying," adding:

"The facts show that unilateral bullying has already become a worsening tumor. The maximum pressure exerted by the US on Iran (supported by Europe) is the root cause of the Iranian nuclear crisis."

On the same day, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said withdrawing from the JCPOA remains an option if Europe doesn't reverse its breach of the deal — but "no decision (on going this far) has been taken," adding:

"We will take (a) third step (toward reducing the nation's voluntary JCPOA commitments) in 60 days and are still weighing (our options), but if the remaining countries, particularly the Europeans, fail to honor their commitments…we will take the third step stronger."

The agreement is only viable if observed by its signatories. Europe's failure to fulfill its obligations, showing no signs of reversing course, risks the JCPOA's dissolution.

As things now stand, it's the most likely outcome of Trump's unlawful pullout, why his regime hardliners took this unlawful step.

They want Iran returning to its (entirely legal) pre-JCPOA nuclear activities, a convenient pretext, along with easily invented other ones, to push things for war on the country.

Michel Chossudovsky explained that a "major conventional war" like the US waged on Iraq is "impossib(le)" against Iran because of its military strength and highly unlikely involvement of nations bordering the Islamic Republic.

Nor is it likely that other regional nations with friendly ties to Tehran will join a US coalition for war — including Qatar, home to CENTCOM's regional headquarters at its Al Udeid military base, HQ for the Qatari air force.

Except for Britain, other NATO nations are highly reluctant to join a US coalition for war on Iran.

All of the above and other factors by no means rule out US war on the country. Its strategy could include limited or extensive aerial and naval terror-bombing, use of banned radiological, chemical, biological, and/or other terror weapons, ISIS and other proxy forces like in other countries, cyberwar, and other possible tactics.

When the US goes to war by other means or naked aggression, it has lots of options to employ.

The threat of war on Iran is real. The strongest deterrents are the nation's military strength ability to hit back hard and reluctance of US allies to get involved.

Despite its formidable military strength, when the US goes to war, it seeks as many coalition of the willing partners as possible. Without them or with too few, it may hesitate going this far.

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My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

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