Despite the tensions between the US and Iran and last week’s assassination of an Iranian scientist, Joe Biden said he plans to return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Biden made the comments in an interview with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman that was published on Wednesday. Friedman asked Biden if he stood by the views of an op-ed he penned in September, where the former vice president said he would work with Iran to return to the JCPOA. “It’s going to be hard, but yeah,” Biden answered.
The former vice president said he favors an immediate return to the JCPOA and then a follow-on deal that addresses Iran’s ballistic missiles program. Biden hopes the second deal could involve Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He said, “the best way to achieve getting some stability in the region” is to deal “with the nuclear program.”
There are a lot of forces at work to scuttle Biden’s efforts to return to the JCPOA. Even leading Democrats in Congress have said he should pursue a tougher deal. But Iran’s leadership has made it clear they are not negotiating with the US until they receive sanctions relief.
Both Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif have recently said that Iran can immediately come into compliance with the JCPOA if the US lifts sanctions.
Despite it being the subject of his previous column, Friedman failed to ask Biden about the brazen assassination of Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was killed in an apparent Israeli plot.
Israel is working hard to kill the JCPOA, and reports say President Trump has left Iran policy in the hands of his most hawkish advisors for the final days of his administration.
Last week, President Trump’s point man for Iran, Elliot Abrams, said the US will sanction Iran every week “until the end” of the administration. Abrams said it would be “foolish” for Biden to lift the sanctions.
Notice how he adds on the ballistic missile restrictions. This makes it very difficult for Iran to accept. Iran has a sovereign right to defend its people against Israeli and American aggressions and plots.
And then there’s the cautionary tale of Libya.
“and then a follow-on deal that addresses Iran’s ballistic missiles program. Biden hopes the second deal could involve Saudi Arabia and the UAE”
I took this to mean a separate deal. Especially with the word “second” being in there.
The aggressor is the one who starts the violence. Iran gave weapons to Hezbollah & Hamas to murder Israelis. Iran offered to help anyone who will attack Israel. Iran is the aggressor, not Israel.
Oh yeah, let’s get right down into bringing new restrictions on Iran”s ability to have some (any???) deterence against Israeli aggression & attacks
Yes, Israel has nuclear weapons, but it also has a nuclear dirty bomb waiting to be detonated by anyone who can get a missile through their somewhat porous Iron dome and other similarly fallible
defenses. Nice of Biden to try to thwart any deterence Iran could get without becoming a nuclear bomb state, NOT!!
A clear case of protecting the strong against the weak. I don’t know what it will take for these state’s in the neighborhood to get solid detetence against Israel, but I can forsee the day when one or more of the neighbors will gain deterence parity. When, if, it happens, I believe Israel will have to ditch it”s “we’rẻ special, and Can do whatever we desire to our neighbors.” A day I would like to see arrive by consent, not by an ugly nuclear confrontation and stand off.
There is not a chance in the world that Biden will defy our Israeli rulers.
“Some stability” – there’s a low aspiration. Continue pretending Israel doesn’t have lots of nuclear weapons. Continue hand-wringing about the possibility that Iran might someday get them. Continue allying ourselves most closely with the military dictatorships and repressive sheikdoms most willing and eager to attack their neighbors massively and indefinitely.
The NDAA shouldn’t be facing veto threats over freedom-to-tweet-lies, it should be vetoed because the US can’t afford global military hegemony, and even if we could doing so is incompatible with our professed values of peace and democracy.
Thou shall not kill, murder or assassinate, this is not a request.
Biden is an ultra lifelong Zionist. Why should Iran trust anything he says?
Iran is an ultra lifelong anti-Zionist. Why should anyone trust anything Iran says?
Iran says it wants Israel erased from the pages of history. Thousands of Iranian chant “Death to Israel!” “Death to Israel!” is printed on Iranian missiles. Iran has boasted that it helped Hezbollah & Hamas kill Israelis. Iran has offered to help anyone willing to attack Israel. That’s war mongering!
Israel wants good relations with Iran. Israel wants to buy Iranian oil & Israel wants to sell Israeli goods to Iran.
They have also mentioned that of course they don’t trust the US, nor should they.
They want sanctions relief first. They want it complete. They want to keep the option to go back to their work if/when the US cheats again.