US v. Iran

US v. Iran

by Stephen Lendman  (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)

On all things Iran and other independent nations, longstanding US policy is regime change — preceded by containment, confrontation, and too often war.

Since Iran broke free from US imperial control, GOP and Dem hardliners waged war by other means alone against the country and its people.

Since Biden/Harris replaced Trump on January 20, US policy toward Iran remains at least largely unchanged.

Rhetoric alone differs. Regime change remains firm US policy.

While waging hot war on Iran is unlikely — what hasn’t happened since its 1979 revolution — it’s possible by accident or design.

The US seeks unchallenged dominance over other nations, tolerating none free from its control.

Biden/Harris are highly likely to pursue their own version of maximum pressure on Iran.

It’s unclear if they’ll return to the JCPOA nuclear deal — what’s by no means certain.

On Friday, national security advisor Jake Sullivan suggested a fast timeline to rejoin what Trump unlawfully abandoned in May 2018.

DJT flagrantly breached Security Council Res. 2231, unanimously affirming the landmark agreement — making it binding international and US constitutional law.

Sullivan, other Biden/Harris regime officials, and practically the entire US Congress are militantly hostile toward Iran for fabricated reasons.

No legitimate ones exist against a nation threatening no one.

Sullivan showed where the new US regime is likely going with regard to Iran, saying:

“We are going to have to address Iran’s other bad behavior (sic), malign behavior across the region (sic), but from our perspective, a critical early priority has to be to deal with what is an escalating nuclear crisis as they move closer to having enough fissile material for a weapon (sic).”

“And we would like to make sure that we reestablish some of the parameters and constraints around the program that have fallen away over the course of the past two years.”

“Bad behavior” is a longstanding US, NATO, Israeli specialty.

Iran operates by a higher standard — at peace with other nations, threatening none.

Like others in Washington and Israel, Sullivan falsely suggested that Iran is moving toward developing nuclear weapons — what it long ago banned, abhors, and wants eliminated everywhere.

According to Sullivan, a Biden/Harris regime priority is putting Iran’s bomb-making nuclear material “in a box” — what doesn’t exist.

Interventionist Antony Blinkin, the new secretary of state, falsely accused Iran of being “out of compliance on a number of fronts (sic).”

He indicated no quick US return to the JCPOA, if at all based on his unacceptable demands.

Steps Iran took that included enrichment of uranium to 20% purity are permitted by the JCPOA in response to breaches of the agreement by the US and E3 signatories.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif tweeted the following:

“Why on earth should Iran—a country that stood firm and defeated 4 years of a brutal US economic terrorism imposed in violation of JCPOA & UNSC (Res. 2231)—show good will gesture first?”

“It is not logical and will never happen.”

“It was the US that broke the deal—for no reason. It must remedy its wrong; then Iran will respond.”

Separately Zarif tweeted:

“Reality check for

@SecBlinken

:

The US

-violated JCPOA

-blocked food/medicine to Iranians

-punished adherence to UNSCR 2231

Throughout that sordid mess, Iran

-abided by JCPOA

-only took foreseen remedial measures

Now, who should take 1st step?

Never forget Trump’s maximum failure.”

After meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow last week, Zarif said:

“The US should stop its sanctions pressure.”

“There should be no obstacles on the way to our cooperation with other countries.”

“If these problems are solved, then we will come back to comply fully with the JCPOA” as adopted  by SC Res. 2231 in 2015.

Iran will fully reciprocate in response to Biden/Harris good will gestures.

From remarks by Blinken and Sullivan, they’re nowhere in sight — coming no time soon, most likely not at all ahead.

Even after Obama/Biden joined the JCPOA, they breached the landmark agreement by imposing unlawful sanctions on Iran for fabricated reasons.

Actions by the US against Iran and other nations free from its control show its ruling authorities can never be trusted.

They never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity for improved relations with other countries, notably independent ones.

Forever wars by hot and/or other means continue against nations unwilling to sell their souls to a higher power in Washington.

In remarks at the pro-war US Institute of Peace — an abhorrent notion in the West — Sullivan said:

“(I)f we can get back to diplomacy and can put Iran’s nuclear program in a box, that will create a platform upon which to build a global effort, including partners and allies in the region and in Europe and elsewhere, to take on the other significant threats Iran poses, including on the ballistic missile issue (sic).”

What Sullivan and other US officials consider an “issue” is Iran’s increased ability to defend itself against aggression by a hostile power — its UN Charter right.

Looking ahead, the ball is in the US court for improved relations with Iran or same old dirty business as usual.

Chances of the former are virtually nil.

It’s virtually certain that the new US regime will at least largely treat Iran like its predecessor.

And like always before, the Islamic Republic will be falsely blamed for hostile US actions against it.

It’s the American way.

A Final Comment

On the issue of what country should return to the JCPOA first, Mahmoud Vaezi, Iran’s chief of staff to President Rouhani said the following on Friday:

“We held (years of) negotiations once and the issue of the JCPOA has been closed” since agreement was reached with P5+1 countries and adopted by SC Res. 2231.

“Our stance on the JCPOA (is) clear, and we have maintained our past approach.”

“For us, there is no difference between the Trump and Biden (regimes). Therefore, Iran’s stance will not change.”

“As President Rouhani has repeatedly said, only when the US returns to its obligations” will Iran drop remedial steps taken as permitted by JCPOA Articles 26 and 36.

If Biden/Harris fail to act in good faith by returning to the JCPOA as obligated by the Security Council, the moment will be lost, Zarif stressed.

Looking ahead, will Biden/Harris return to the JCPOA or let years of negotiations leading to its SC adoption go down the drain?

Note:

Hopefully I’m wrong, but in my judgment, the US will abandon the landmark nuclear agreement like many other international ones earlier.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home – Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My two Wall Street books are timely reading:

“How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion, and Class War”

https://www.claritypress.com/product/how-wall-street-fleeces-america/

 

“Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity”

https://www.claritypress.com/product/banker-occupation-waging-financial-war-on-humanity/