US must live up to its obligations or be seen as a rogue nation: Scholar

The United States must live up to its obligations or be seen as a rogue nation, says Dennis Etler, an American political analyst who has a decades-long interest in international affairs.

In an interview with Press TV on Thursday, Etler, a former professor of Anthropology at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California, said that “only increased international pressure will force the US to live up to its word and obligations,” regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal with Iran which was abandoned by the former US president Donald Trump in 2018.

Trump had adopted a policy of “maximum pressure” against Tehran after the withdrawal, escalating tensions with Iran and drawing strong criticism from the other signatories of the accord.

Tehran has denounced the harsh US sanctions as “economic war,” “economic terrorism” and also “medical terrorism,” maintaining that the restrictions have severely harmed Iranians but failed to bring the nation to its knees.

Meanwhile, the new US administration of Joe Biden has conceded that the so-called “maximum pressure” campaign has failed, promising to replace it with a new policy.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday the economic war waged by the United States against the Islamic Republic has totally failed and all measures taken by Washington to bring Tehran to its knees have been proven futile.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday the only path for the United States to rejoin‎ the nuclear deal is full compliance and removal of all sanctions. 

Iran Foreign Ministry: Only path for US to rejoin‎ JCPOA is full compliance, removal of all sanctions

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman says the only path for the US to rejoin‎ the JCPOA is full compliance and removal of all sanctions.

“Will the US once again show to the world that it is a rogue state that thumbs its nose at the global community of nations, or will it live up to its obligations and do the right thing?” Professor Etler asked in a comment to Press TV. 

“In 2015 the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution establishing a monitoring system for Iran’s nuclear program and the ‘eventual removal’ of all nuclear-related sanctions against the country,” he added.

“By doing so, the Council endorsed the JCPOA, which was described as the ‘culmination’ of diplomatic efforts by the so-called E3+3 – China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – and Iran, ‘to reach a comprehensive, long-term and proper solution to the Iranian nuclear issue,’” he continued.

“Under that ‘historic’ agreement Iran reaffirmed ‘that it will under no circumstances ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.’ JCPOA came into effect 90 days later,” he elaborated.

“After its promulgation and implementation all parties verified that Iran had scrupulously adhered to the accord. Nonetheless, after Trump assumed the US presidency he worked feverishly to sabotage the agreement. Finally on May 8, 2018 the United States withdrew from the JCPOA, reimposed previous sanctions and added new ones in a punitive policy of ‘maximum pressure,’” he said.

“The international community opposed the illegal sanctions imposed by the US on Iran but was unable to effectively circumvent them as the US imposed ‘secondary sanctions’ on non-US entities that continued to conduct financial or commercial transactions with Iran. Nations which supported Iran were thus stymied from countering the blatantly illegal actions of the US,” the scholar observed.

Why had US entered into the JCPOA?

“The US entered into the JCPOA in order to thwart Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. Its rationale was that Iran was developing the capacity to build nuclear weapons and it was necessary to prevent that from happening, even though the highest Iranian authorities had unequivocally said that Iran had no intention of doing so as the possession of nuclear weapons went against its core values and beliefs. It consented to the provisions of the JCPOA in order to reassure its critics of its sincerity,” he explained.

“The signatories to the agreement looked forward to integrating Iran into the global economy, a move that would benefit all participants. Iran’s enemies, however, were incensed and worked feverishly to sabotage it. Trump and his Zionist allies finally held sway and the US withdrew,” the analyst said.

“Biden during his campaign for the US presidency pledged that upon election he would work towards reinstating the JCPOA. The logical first step would be to rescind all the sanctions reimposed on Iran after the US withdrawal. It is the only reasonable course of action. The US, however, has demanded that certain conditions be applied on Iran before they would do so. Logic dictates that it is the responsibility of the US to take the first steps to show its commitment to the JCPOA, upon which Iran has pledged to reciprocate by returning in full to its provisions,” he said.

“International pressure has led the US to modify its position and there has been progress in negotiations for the US reentry into the JCPOA. Only increased international pressure will force the US to live up to its word and obligations,” he concluded.

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