Politicians knowledgeable about the nuclear talks and the JCPOA state that the nuclear agreement is a valuable victory and great achievement for diplomacy and multilaterism, and if fully and correctly implemented, can still serve as a model for settling other complicated international conflicts. The execution of resolution.2231 and the provisions of the JCPOA has been the US commitment and Trump’s exit from the JCPOA and violation of its provisions are a clear breach of the Iranian nation’s rights as a party to the agreement and member of the UN, international rights and law, and diplomatic relations. Therefore, the US return to its commitments and compliance with the Iranian nation’s rights as a party to the nuclear agreement can be constructive. The best and most lawful behavior for the US and EU is their immediate return to the execution of their commitments according to resolution.2231 and the JCPOA and efforts for meeting their promises and compensating for the damages incurred to the Iranian nation’s trust, economy and other aspects of the Iranian nation’s life over the last two and a half years. Everybody believes that the path is not an easy one and any obstacles, excessive demands or new conditions will make this tough task even tougher and more unconstructive.
The joint comprehensive plan of action or JCPOA is drawing close to its fifth anniversary of its execution in January 2021. During the course of these five years a number of events have occurred which profoundly impacted on the JCPOA, the Islamic republic of Iran, and other signatories to the JCPOA and the world community.
All experts and politicians involved in the nuclear talks and the JCPOA unanimously agree that the nuclear agreement is a precious victory and great achievement for diplomacy and mutilaterism and could and still can , if fully and correctly implemented, serve as a model and trend for solving other international conflicts, as a result solidify peace and security and eliminate insecurity in the world.
The conditions created after the start of execution of the JCPOA were fairly well, but after Donald Trump took office as the president of the US, things were tormented by incessant attacks from him and his administration. The right wing lawbreaking rulers who took power in Washington breached many principles of the international relations and withdrew from international treaties and pacts such as the Paris Climate Agreement, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the Open SkiesSurveillance Treaty. When unable to obscure the JCPOA from inside or by the IAEA or other members to the agreement through pretexts or legal loopholes , the US withdrew and obviously breached it in a unilateral act against all international commitments and traditions .
Then, Washington adopted the policy of maximum pressure, not only unilaterally re-imposing and resuming its sanctions ,against all its commitments , but also by extraterritorial imposition of its law, weaponizing the dollar and the systematic intimidation policy, obstruction and punishment, preventing all world’s other countries and companies from interacting with Iran.
Due to the Iranian nation’s strategic resistance, the US and its allies policies in exerting maximum pressure on the Iranian people, and forcing the Islamic republic of Iran to new negotiations and other stated aims of this policy , which even during the harsh corona pandemic management era were relentlessly pursued and even intensified , not only were not realized, but alsoentirely defeated. However, this inhumane and illegal policy ,which is against the US government’s commitments, incurred irreparable material and mental damages to the great Iranian nation and its economic, social and scientific development and growth.
As a member of the UN, the US is obliged to comply with the charter and execution of the decisions of the UN security council. Execution of resolution.2231 and the JCPOA provisions is the US commitment and withdrawing from it and violating its contents by the Trump administration is a clear breach of the Iranian nation’s rights; because Iran is a party to the JCPOA as well as a member of the UN,which is and has been regularly complying with the international laws and rights, and diplomatic relations.
Despite US breaking its promises and the EU inaction which brought colossal costs, Iran remained the most committed member of the JCPOA.The IAEA , in 16 reports until May 2019,has affirmed Iran’s full abiding by its commitments. At the same time, although the US broke its promises and as a result Iran gave a one year deadline to the European party of the JCPOA, the EU did not move to lift the sanctions, and compensate for the US violation as a result the Islamic republic of Iran stated that to balance the commitments against the rights, it will scale down some of its JCPOA commitments. All Iran’s actions were within the JCPOA framework as stipulated in the JCPOA and informed to and under supervision of the IAEA inspectors. Also, Iran has always made the point that if other parties to the JCPOA return to their execution of the agreement , Iran’s steps too, will be reversible, i.e. if ,today, JCPOA is half dead, it has been to the expense of the sacrificial Iranian nation.
It has to be noted reviving the JCPOA is possible with the US 180 degree turnaround from its illegal and unlawful policy of “zero enrichment” and respecting the Iranian nation’s right to benefiting from scientific advances and achieving the nuclear science and industry as a member of the NPT. Iran entered the nuclear negotiations and accepted the JCPOA because after years of perseverance, resistance, and exemplary endurance and reaching valuable technical and scientific advances in the nuclear industry, the US and its like-minded allies were more prepared to respect parts of the Iranian nation’s absolute rights. In fact, Iran’s engaging in the nuclear negotiations which was and is a strategic decision for the system, was a test for the US trustability, at first , and for Europe, at second. Unfortunately, the sad JCPOA experience and Trump’s illegal and bullying behavior regarding the agreement , once again, has dealt a serious blow to the Iranian people’s confidence in the west and US.
Now, due to the US elections and Trump and the Neocons’s defeat,a new situation has emerged. The president-elect Joe Biden has stated during his presidential campaign that in case of victory and taking office, he will return to diplomacy, compliance with the international laws, and respect to the commitments of international treaties such as the JCPOA. This was warmly welcomed by most international experts and politicians. Unconditional return of the US to its commitments as an abiding member of the international community and return to observing the Iranian nation’s rights as a party to the nuclear agreement will be constructive.
In a speech on Sep.9,2019, the supreme leader said” If the US went back on its word and repented and returned to the nuclear agreement which violated, then the US might attend the joint sessions of the parties to the agreement and talk to Iran.” Also the Iranian foreign minister, on Nov.18, 2020 , in response to recent developments, said:” It is a good that Biden wants to return to the JCPOA. It is a very good thing. Part of it is returning to their commitments as a member of the UN. They must lift the sanctions and stop the destructive actions done by trump which were against resolution 2231.”
Therefore, the best and most lawful behavior for the US and EU, which in addition to the international laws, is warranted by reason and fairness, is their immediate return to the execution of the commitments according to resolution 2231 and the JCPOA, and attempting to keep their commitments and restoration of the damages the Iranian people suffered in terms of economy and trust and many other aspects of their life over the last two and a half years.
As the supreme leader and other Iranian authorities have declared on various occasions, the Iranian nation always is and has been ready to engage in dialogue and interaction on various issues provided that their rights are respected and are treated with mutual respect and interests. Over the last 42 years, wherever the US and European states have respected the Iranian nation’s rights, and have reached their hand for solving the regional and world problems to Iran, Iran has warmly embraced them and provided effective help to solve those problems.
The Islamic Iran, in practice and over the last 42 years, has shown that as a country with institutionalized capacities and a powerful actor, it cannot be deleted from the regional and global issues and can have a constructive role in any negotiations or efforts for fairly handling regional and international affairs and play its part as a historic, educated and committed nation.
At present, this is, also, the advice of the experts and intellectuals that the US and EUget back onto the JCPOA path by carrying out their full commitments of the JCPOA and actually put themselves on the path of cooperation and mutual interests by meeting their commitments and respecting the Iranian nation’s right to fully benefiting from the fruits of resolution.2231 and the JCPOA. Everybody agrees that this path is not an easy one and any obstacles, excessive demands or new conditions will make this tough task even tougher and more unconstructive.
The contemporary world is rife with problems that can be settled by utilizing reason, accepting others’ rights, and employing formulas based on rationality and justice such as the JCPOA. The last 4 year US experience has shown that the world will not tolerate autocracy, unilaterism and self-important behaviors and it has suffered from and is dubious about such behaviors, even in the US they are not voted for. The world can be a better place to live, by the discretion of the US president elect and his return to rationality and win-win formulas.
(The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the IPIS)