Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke to reporters at the UN on Friday, warning that he believes the US withdrawing from the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran would mean the total collapse of the deal.
“This agreement cannot be implemented if one of the participants unilaterally steps out of it,” Lavrov warned, adding that he expects the Trump Administration to “try to convince the European states to take the same position.”
Having recently agreed to keep complying with the deal, President Trump said that the US will withdraw within four months if the rest of the world doesn’t agree to impose radical changes to the terms of the deal, including keeping restrictions on Iran’s civilian nuclear program in place permanently.
No other P5+1 nation has suggested willingness to consider Trump’s demands, and Iran has warned the deal is not renegotiable. Lavrov’s comments are Russia’s first suggestion the deal wouldn’t survive a US pullout.
Indeed, the EU nations, Russia, and China have all been in talks with Iran about the possibility of keeping the deal in place without the US. Lavrov’s suggestion that this is impossible is a surprising one.
Did Lavrov elaborate on this?
shut up and change your name.
Even if Lavrov meant what he said he should have kept it to himself. Trump will be emboldened by this to go through with withdrawing from the deal. He’s probably already tweeting about it.
I don’t see that. The US can withdraw but can’t stop the world from trading with Iran.
True, the US has not traded with Iran since 1979, so what matters to Iran is if others do.
However, the US is perfecting its extraterritorial application of laws that prevent banking, shipping, and other key services needed to conduct trade. If the US pushes that to its limit, as it has threatened in the past, then others will need to choose sides.
Few will choose against the US, even though it angers them. However, over the longer run other ways to provide those services will emerge outside the reach of the US. The US will have crippled its key role in world finance and payments, rather than just crippling Iran. China will be delighted.
I don’t totally agree. Boeing had a $140B deal with Iran for passenger jets. I’m sure Airbus can pick up the slack. And the rest of the P5+1 have spoken strongly against redoing the deal. I don’t think that our closest allies will join in a war against Iran.
if not the Chinese can pick up the Aircraft sales, both military and civil!
“Few will choose against the US, even though it angers them.”
At some point, that equation changes.
After decades of fucking around, the US finally conceded to the rest of the P5+1’s desires to trade with Iran.
In my opinion, this is the point where backing out would change the equation — at least some of those countries would say “sorry, no backsies, if it’s you or them, it’s them. Have a nice day.”
Why oh why is Lavrov suggesting this and giving the USA even more encouragement in its continued destruction of a vital deal? Only Israel can benefit from this US vicious behavior, and Lavrov should not act as if it is normal.
If The USA pulls out of the deal with Iran and wants to put sanction back on Iran . I don’t think this will harm Russia much because they also have USA sanctions against Russia too . It perhaps might increase trade between the sanctioned countries . This should benefit Russia .