German Intelligence: Iranian Faction Trying to Torpedo Nuclear Pact

Efforts to Acquire Equipment Seen as Way to Weaken Deal

It’s been no secret that while most of the parties involved in the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran have been almost entirely united in favor of the deal, in both the United States and Iran there exist hardline factions which oppose the pact, and are eager to return to the long-standing state of hostility.

While the US forces are mostly in Congress, trying to pass laws to violate the deal, German intelligence officials say that they have evidence that some of the forces within Iran are trying to buy equipment that is plainly illegal under the deal in hopes of causing a violation that would collapse it.

They say that efforts to procure nuclear technology continued at a “high level” throughout 2015, even after the deal had already concluded, with German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer saying that there was considerable faith that the Rouhani government was sticking to the deal, but evidence that forces who see Rouhani as “a thorn in the eye” are trying to torpedo the pact, his main claim to fame.

President Rouhani was a rare reformist in Iran who actually got the hugely complicated deal finalized and in place before the February 2016 elections. Though there are hardliners who remain opposed to the deal, Iranian voters have reacted very favorably to it, and no one seems to believe that Rouhani would endorse anything that would imperil that.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.