On Sunday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran doesn’t trust the Biden administration’s promise that it will lift sanctions once Iran returns to the limits set by the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.
Khamenei said the US has no credibility because the Obama administration never fully lifted the sanctions it said it would when the JCPOA was negotiated in 2015. “We trusted America at the time of Obama and fulfilled our commitments. But they didn’t. The Americans said on paper that sanctions will be lifted, but they didn’t lift sanctions in practice,” he said. “Their promises have no credibility for us.”
Khamenei reiterated Iran’s stance and said the Islamic Republic will return to the JCPOA limits, but only after sanctions relief is verified. “The Americans must lift all sanctions. We will verify it and if sanctions are … really canceled, we will return to our obligations without any problems,” he said.
The supreme leader said Iranians should not expect to have sanctions lifted anytime soon. “You should assume that sanctions will remain in place and plan the country’s economy based on sanctions,” he said. Since Khamenei doesn’t want the health of his country’s economy to be based on who’s in office in Washington, Khamenei has been calling for new ways to offset sanctions, like boosting domestic industry and production.
Iran has good reasons not to trust the US. Iran remained in strict compliance with the JCPOA, and the Trump administration still withdrew from the agreement in 2018. Now, the new US administration is demanding Iran act first and refuses to make any concessions.
The Trump administration also slapped on a slew of sanctions for alleged human rights violations and other issues not related to Iran’s nuclear program that Biden officials have hinted could remain in place. Earlier this month, the Biden administration sanctioned two Iranian officials for alleged human rights violations.
Compared to our “best and brightest” in DC, words of wisdom from a seventh century religious cleric …
“… no credibility”? Pretty obvious .
The US is “not agreement-capable” is the Russian assessment.
The understatement of the year. Or decade. Or half century.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei understands as many do that discussions with Americans, Israeli, and their satraps wastes precious time. The results are the same and peace is not their intent.
Meanwhile, Iran develops strategic trade and military ties with Russia and China. What’s unfortunate is that Iran is seeking improved relations with Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE. The US influence is so overwhelming as to prevent discussions between the parties.
A Saudi Arabia-Iran detente looks forever an impossibility. It’s perhaps less economic in nature and more directed toward Shia-Sunni differences. At least that’s what Washington would have us believe.
Very good points. But re the Gulf relationships, you have to remember that those folks are no dummies and they see the handwriting of declining US relative power and influence and even ability to intervene other than destructively on the wall as well. So they (meaning Qatar, UAE, and perhaps even the realistically minded Saudis and Israel in some ways) need to account for the post-US-primacy world.
Precisely, they will let us believe that.
Success in stirring up Sunni-Shia divide in Iraq was in consequence to US arming Sunni “awakening” under Pertraeus doctrine.
But it ended with the unwise US-Saudi plan to consolidate Sunni-Islamic groups in Syria and Iraq under ISIS caliphate banner. The cultish brutal version of Wahhabism has repulsed Shia and Sunni alike. The plan was hatched under Obama administration and the powerful Saudi Minister of the Interior, Mohammed Bin Nayef. The man who was our favorite to become the ruler, the Crown Prince. US managed that. King Salman rule started the sensitive transition in monarchy succession, and Crown Prince appointed by the Council, Prince Muqrin, was under US pressure removed after only two months in favor of MBN.
Our media STUDIOUSLY avoids mentioning MBN rule. Because he was the co-architect and financier of our “war on terror”, and the strategy of destroying Syria, incorporating Sunni regions of Syria and Iraq into a territory first run by ISIS, then replaced by a dressed up version of Caliphate.
What was NOT expected was Russian entry into Syria, Iraqi link-up with Russian and Iranian intelligence and subsequent routing of ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Saudi Arabia was stunned. Obama did nothing other then engage Kurdish militias to “fight ISIS”, but in reality to have Kurds hold the territory.
In panic, he took militarily more capable Turkish PKK and left Iraqi militants, Peshmerga, on the outside. It was a mistake – as events proved later.
But when Trump was elected MBN had a shock. US president was NOT going to let Iraq and Syria with Russia’s help defeat ISIS. He, Trump was going to defeat ISIS.
In June 2017, shell-shocked MBN was removed from power and MBS became Crown Prince. A power struggle ensued, and US never reconciled itself to the loss of control inside Saudi establishment.
MBS was a marked man from day one. He is even credited with deeds MBN did, like war in Yemen, Qatar blockade etc.
Iran has strong relationship with Qatar, and Turkish troops are still there. Iran can try to get better ties with UAE and Bahrain, but that is just not possible. UAE and Bahrain are now officially our and UK colonies. UAE has no oil any more, and is living at the mercy of financial oligarchs doing trade with Asia in a large money laundering operation.
Bahrain is home to 5th Fleet, and is a Sunni monarchy sitting on the powder keg of 90% Shia population.
Iran has good relationship with Kuwait and Oman. It is believed that Saudis opened Embassy in Baghdad with the sole purpose of having discrete channel to Iran.
Saudi Arabia stopped Wahhabi funding for Salafi and ISIS militants as early as October 2017. ISIS crumbled in Iraq by November 2017. It survived in Syria, but ONLY in US air controlled region. Russia and Syria were NOT allowed to pursue ISIS there.
Reason? US was quickly establishing SDF – presumably Syrian, but 100% Kurdish YPG militia. The goal was – remove ISIS, and have territory controlled by Kurds. Last ISIS outfit, Raqqa fell in 2018, and Kurdish rule established,
Under a threat by Turkey. US then withdrew to Iraqi and Jordanian borders, YPG was defeated, and Syria reclaimed one third of its territory. Kurdish populated areas are now under Syrian and Turkish control.
US is still having the illusion of SDF staying on borders around oil wells, and around US base in Deir Azzor. Since no Kurds live there, the mercenary force is just a fig leaf of “Syrian” presence.
The obsession of guarding the border pass from Iraq to Syria and frequent bombing there — is a proof of idiocy. As if Iran would use that border pass and Iraqi Shia militia to smuggle weapons that way?
More likely it is Turkey that has a tight alliance with Iran. And has comfortable position within Syria to supply Lebanon.
But I may not be the only one noticing the obvious — Turkish lira is under attack.
As soon as Russia and China establish the eastern version of SWIFT, the JCPOA will be in trash can…!
They already have, multiple ones, accepted by SCO countries, Iran included. But this information is hard to find in MSM, and countries using them prefer not to advertise.
Iran is already well integrated economically into Eurasian landmass. As SCO promotes development of each country — its own version of sustainability. Iran is looking at all the domestic assets to develop.
I think that Iran has outfoxed Israel. Knowing full well that US was not going to remove sanctions from day one — Iran has used the years spent in negotiations, and years after JCPOA was signed — to develop ties to region, and the defense systems that reflect the reality of ME conditions.
At this point, if US does not remove sanctions or show good faith in starting to remove — Iran just remains free to develop without the usual hectoring.
The objective of keeping up pressure was always same — regime change or war.
Now it appears that nobody in the region will support war on Iran. Nobody, specially not Israel without being able to hide behind US and regional bellicosity.
What we will see is a change — pressure from AIPAC on Biden to sign. As without the Agreement, there are no hooks into Iranian affairs.
But US will not be able to turn this ship of bellicosity around that quickly. Iran will help US find creative ways to come back to the table.
Iran has multiple benefits should US relent. One is — no threat of war. Second, ability to develop transit infrastructure within the region. BRI plans are waiting.
But then — US does not like the idea of Iran getting economically more powerful. It is already well connected to Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman, and should sanctions be lifted, the entire Middle East flunked by Turkey and Pakistan would be linked via Iran to Central Asia, Russia and Europe on the West and China to the East. Sea routes and who controls them would no longer be decisive.
A real conundrum.
The Worst and the Dullest
(From The Triumph of Strife: an homage to Dante Alighieri and Percy Shelley)
The languid, lazy, leisure loafers laugh
No hint of urgency disturbs their rest
“Inconsequential Fool” their epitaph
Who took no notice of the viper’s nest
That they at first created, then ignored
The Worst and Dullest; Brightest and the Best
More worried, they, about whose ox is gored
Than those who daily die due to their crimes
They care about the king for whom they whored
More than the victims of these horrid times
Expending atmospheres of wasted breath
Our leaders add more heat to torrid climes
While in Iraq an Omar shibboleth
For some now daily means their life or death
A daffy, dreamlike, diffidence decrees
That those who draw a blood bath from afar
Retain their hothouse orchid warmth degrees
These bureaucrats who lower down the bar
With signing statements signaling their sloth
For only more corruption will they spar
Too many crooks, of course, can spoil the broth
His faithless execution of the laws
Reveals a varmint vandal Visigoth
Obsessed with nothing more than flaunting flaws
Conspicuously wasteful for effect
The branch on which his country sits he saws
Inflated with disdain for intellect
He bows to ignorance to pay respect
Michael Murry, “The Misfortune Teller,” Copyright © 2006-2010
It is important to notice that although Trump made things worse, the US NEVER actually complied with the Deal.
The US lied and cheated from first to last.
I want better from my government.
I understand that today AIPAC is circulating a letter for Congress to sign, demanding a broader Iran Deal, getting more for less.
Well, I want Congress to do the opposite. Live up to the promises made in the Iran Deal. Then worry about a new deal on more issues.
re: Iran has good reasons not to trust the US.
Khamenei, Jul 3, 2019 (prior to recent assassinations etc.)
Why did the US give a legion of merit to the captain who shot down the Iranian passenger airliner? . . .To this day, while we speak, the Americans [from the USA] have employed numerous plots, methods, and means of deception aimed at striking the Islamic Republic. Indeed, there is no hostile method that they haven’t tried against the Islamic Republic!
They organized military coups; they provoked ethnic groups to turn against one another; they provoked Saddam into attacking and fighting against Iran. During the war [8-year Holy Defense War], they supported Saddam in various ways, and they imposed sanctions on us. The US government powers used their influence against Iran within the UN: they launched propaganda campaigns, day and night, and they used their knack for mischievous planning to further their goals [against Iran]. They used their Hollywood industry to make anti-Iranian films – and not just one or two. The USA launched military moves in various strategic regions: they shot down our passenger plane and attacked some of our centres in the Persian Gulf. The USA government has manoeuvred all sorts of schemes against the Islamic Republic: they have mounted security, political, economic, propaganda, cultural and various kinds of oppositional operations. . .here
Iran signed a “deal” long before the JCPOA. The NPT. Because the U.S. pulled out of the JCPOA, essentially breaking the JCPOA, the original “deal”, the NPT now holds forth. Iran needs to emphasize that. Over and over.
Yes, also the full Additional Protocol, until recently. What has Israel signed? Nothing.
Presidents like to leave “delicate” matters for their predecessors to enact. Bush 2 set the date for final Iraq withdrawal to Obama. Obama left the lifting of Iran sanctions to trump. trump left final Afghanistan withdrawal to Biden. All cowards.
From The Best and the Brightest, by David Halberstam (1969):
“The inability of the Americans to impose their will on Vietnam had been answered in 1968, yet the leadership of this country had not been able to adjust our goals to that failure. And so the war went on, tearing at this country; a sense of numbness seemed to replace an earlier anger. There was, Americans were finding, no light at the end of the tunnel, only greater darkness.” p. 665
From Fire in the Lake: the Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam, by Frances FitzGerald (1972):
“There was timeless quality to the American effort – which is not to say that it was static but that it was constantly moving over the same ground. … Only the faces of the young men and the numbers of hamlets changed year after year. For those who stayed in Vietnam long enough, it was like standing on the ground and watching a carousel revolve.” p. 453
“Supporting the Vietnam war was dumb. Supporting the Iraq
invasion after being lied to about Vietnam was an order of magnitude
dumber. Supporting any US war agendas after being lied to about Iraq
is an order of magnitude even dumber than that.” — Caitlin Johnstone
I think the Iranian leadership understands this disintegrating U.S. imperial history clearly enough. Integrating politically and economically with the Russian Federation and China will probably proceed apace in the foreseeable future. The United States will watch from the sidelines, its sclerotic “leadership” impotently waving its bruised fists in the air and shouting “Get off my lawn” — when it doesn’t even have one.”