For years, Iran’s extensive nuclear energy program raised international suspicions about possible weapons intentions and Iran was subjected to increasing isolation and economic sanctions. Through long negotiations between Iran, EU and great powers, notably the United States, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was worked out designed to enable Iran to build confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of the programme and to lead to the lifting of sanctions.
It was greeted with relief and applause by practically the whole world and in its unanimous resolution of 20 July 2015, the Security Council endorsed the Plan, affirmed that full implementation would contribute to international peace and security and stressed that UN members were obligated under Art. 25 of the Charter to accept and carry out the decision. Two years later, to the consternation of nearly all governments, the Trump administration seems hell-bent to do what it can to wreck the plan. As Iran has been implementing its part of the programme in good faith and feels the support of the world community it is now the US that is isolated…
The IAEA has never come across evidence of any diversion of nuclear material towards a nuclear weapons programme. And who knows what the world will look like ten years from now? Perhaps the US will seek Iran as an ally in 2027?…
I join the increasing number of commentators who think that US concerns expressed about nuclear weapons intentions may – as before the invasion of Iraq in 2003 – be more a selling point than a real worry. What is to be sold this time is not war, perhaps not even a desired but implausible toppling of a defiant theocratic regime. Rather, the motivation is likely to be found in a wish to deny Iran a boost in economic development and political power that could come from sanction lifting. Läs artikel