No Point for Iran to Make 2nd Deal with A Country Refusing to Honor 1st: US Analyst
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An American political analyst described attempts by European signatories of the JCPOA to create a successor deal to the international agreement as a “bad idea”, wondering, “Why should Iran make a second agreement with a country which refused to honor their first agreement?”
“This (creating a successor deal) is a bad idea. First of all, why should Iran make a second agreement with a country which refused to honor their first agreement? This is a feeble attempt by Europeans to find a compromise in a situation where no compromise is possible. Any new deal can't work because it is based on the violation of the previous agreement,” E. Michael Jones, a political analyst in the US state of Indiana, told the Tasnim News Agency.
Eugene Michael Jones is an American writer, former professor, media commentator and the current editor of Culture Wars magazine.
Following is the full text of the interview.
Tasnim: Back in January, US President Donald Trump said he was extending the sanctions relief on Iran for the last time, giving the European signatories a May 12 deadline to fix what he claimed “flaws” in the agreement or he would refuse to waive those bans. Do you think Trump would quit the deal?
Jones: The other signers of the JCPOA will not quit. That will mean 1) isolation for the US and 2) closer ties between the nations which refused to abandon the deal.
Tasnim: What consequences a potential US withdrawal from the JCPOA and re-imposition of sanctions might have? How should Iran respond to this?
Jones: If the US re-imposes sanctions, it will then be in the unfortunate position of having to wage economic war against the countries which did not abandon the deal. This means imposing sanctions on German or French companies which continue to do business with Iran because their countries have not abandoned the agreement. This will further weaken NATO.
Iran should react by strengthening ties with the countries who continue to honor the agreement.
Tasnim: Other parties to the deal, except for Russia and China, are seeking to create a successor deal to the agreement. What is your take on an add-on deal?
Jones: This is a bad idea. First of all, why should Iran make a second agreement with a country which refused to honor their first agreement? This is a feeble attempt by Europeans to find a compromise in a situation where no compromise is possible. Any new deal can't work because it is based on the violation of the previous agreement.
