On Wednesday, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani expressed his growing frustration with the US and said he has seen “no serious efforts” from the Biden administration to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.
Rouhani’s comments come after media reports said the US is preparing to offer a new proposal to Iran related to the JCPOA. But Rouhani pointed out that the US is able to restore the agreement at any time by lifting sanctions that have been imposed since 2018 when the Trump administration withdrew from the JCPOA.
Speaking at a televised cabinet meeting, Rouhani said that while Biden has denounced the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign, his words have not translated into actions since all of Trump’s crippling sanctions are still in place.
The Iranian president dismissed the idea that lifting sanctions would be a long process for the US. “The Americans lie when they say a return to their commitments and the lifting of the sanctions will take two to three months … It can be done with one decree and in one hour,” he said. “If there is a serious resolve, the US can return to all its obligations in a single day, and we can also return to all our commitments.”
While the Biden administration now says it is willing to talk with Iran, it shot down early offers from Tehran to coordinate on the steps needed to restore the JCPOA. Now, the US is attempting to frame Iran as the obstacle to a revival of the agreement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has urged the US to take action before Iran’s June presidential elections, warning that during the transition period, policy changes will be harder to get done. But the US has signaled it is in no hurry to make a move, and according to a Politico report, the president “appears in no rush to restore the original deal.”
Those who know better than I indicate that the hardliners are likely to do well in the Iranian elections, as the reformers have thoroughly discredited themselves.
It’s also easier for the hardliners to do well in elections when they get to decide who’s allowed to run and who isn’t. Just sayin’ …
Seems to be the case here, too.
Yes, it is the case here.
In fact, at one time it was actually harder to get on the ballot in Oklahoma without the approval of an establishment party than it was in Iran — that is, there was no “Guardian Council” that might permit it, nor any procedure under which a third party could receive a ballot line. It was simply against the law, full stop.
In most of the United States, it’s not QUITE as hard as that, but the American uni-party (R & D factions) have been doing their damnedest to make it harder since the late 19th century.
Considering that relative moderates are currently in power in Iran, I wonder how that works.
You don’t have to wonder. You could investigate the matter for yourself. The Guardian Council decides who’s allowed to run for office. It occasionally allows a “moderate” to do so. If that “moderate” should happen to win, he may or may not be allowed to seek re-election. Mostly depending on if his influence threatens to change anything of substance.
Well, the “moderate” won last time, but right now his prospects aren’t so good.
When we want regime change, we always call any challenger “the moderate”.
True as a general statement, but in this case, Rouhani is the person elected and in office.
So you’re saying that the Guardian Counsel is filled with “hardliners” and is in charge?
How do you square that with the current govt dominated apparently by moderates, and the concept of the Grand Ayatollah as the supreme authority?
Have you perhaps absorbed some of the Zionist “Iran is the ultimate evil” propaganda, so lavishly spread by the America-is-Israel’s-bitch Ziomedia?
Sorry for the rough language, but I just can’t be calm about our country being looted of taxpayer monies while being subverted into being Israel’s Luca Brasi.
“How do you square that with the current govt dominated apparently by moderates”
I don’t know of any way to square a reality with a fantasy.
I don’t consider Iran “the ultimate evil.” On the whole, I consider it about as evil as any other regime, including the Israeli or US regime.
Hard to negotiate with bad faith boobs who represent people that think they have a divine right kill other people and steal their stuff. Or they are right when shooting unarmed children because they are too close to some fence the shooters illegally erected on stolen land.
The President is in no hurry to do anything except sleep.