 Iran's nuclear reactor Arak (photo: AP/VNA) |
After 12 years of negotiations, Iran and 6 world powers (China, Russia, Britain, France, the US, and Germany) signed a nuclear deal in July, 2015. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) promised sanctions relief for Iran in exchange for a halt of Iran's controversial nuclear weapon development.
The nuclear deal is considered the biggest diplomatic success of the Obama administration. But the current President is now seeking to undo it.
Intention behind deal revision pressures
Of the 7 signatories of the deal, only the US wants to revise it. During his presidential campaign, President Trump called it “the worst deal ever”. He said the deal won’t prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Trump is not happy with Tehran’s expanding influence in the region, its interference in Yemen and Syria, or its supplying weapons to Hezbollah. Although Trump has given no evidence to support his allegations, he has threatened US withdrawal from the pact unless it is renegotiated.
Despite US allies and the IAEA acknowledging Iran’s compliance with the deal, Trump ordered new economic sanctions on Iran last July. 3 months later he refused to certify Iran’s compliance and kicked the issue to Congress.
Why is trump ignoring the position of the other countries that signed the deal in 2015? He wants Iran to change its policy in the Middle East and ease Israeli and Saudi fears that Iran will build a corridor through Iraq to Syria. That’s why Trump’s allies in the Middle East support his new hard line. Another reason is that it’s now the right time for Trump to fulfill his election promise.
Is revision possible?
Renegotiation is being resisted for now, but no one can be sure it won’t happen in the long run. The United States so far is the only party that wants to scrap the deal. The others understand that breaking the deal will destabilize the Middle East and impact the dialogue with North Korea on denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.
Meanwhile, Washington will keep up the pressure through sanctions against Iran like the Iranian Leadership Asset Transparency Act.
Hong Van