Iran Says Saving Nuclear Deal Not Its Problem

The P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran is not in good shape, as new meetings at the UN Security Council discussed the possibility of saving the deal without US involvement, and Iranian officials expressed growing impatience at being asked to make more and more concessions.

The nuclear deal was meant to give Iran sanctions relief in return for accepting severe limits on its civilian nuclear program, as well as a level of safeguard access no other country is asked to meet.

While Iran has remained in compliance with the deal throughout, the sanctions relief has been almost entirely nonexistent, with European nations so far unable to bypass US threats, despite nominally remaining in the deal.

Iranian Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi warned that “Iran alone cannot, shall not, and will not take all of the burdens any more to preserve” the deal. European officials have been quite happy with asking Iran to make all the sacrifices to preserve the deal, and are warning Iran there is no “credible” alternative but for them to keep giving the other parties everything they want, and receiving nothing in return.

The status quo is a great deal for everyone but Iran, but Iranian officials have been warning they can’t be expected to maintain this forever, and today’s comments indicate that they’re going to further limit any voluntary compliance they have offered.

Which has US hawks champing at the bit to pick a fight. US Ambassador Jonathan Cohen slammed the nuclear deal in general, but then also condemned Iran for its “defiance” in saying they can’t sustain it by themselves. He called on the UN to further punish Iran for “non-performance” in its commitments, even though Iran has met all his commitments, and then some, since it went into effect.

The US is the least viable Security Council member to bring up this complaint, as they never met their own obligations under the deal, then dishonored the deal outright.