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White House Intends Breaching Iran Nuclear Deal

 

By Stephen Lendman
1-1-16

 
Years of Iranian patience, compromise and good faith may end up all for naught. Washington has a long, odious history of flouting agreements.

Native Americans understand best of all. Broken promises and betrayal defined every treaty agreed to. Successive US governments pledged one thing and did another.

They vowed peace and waged war, slaughtered indigenous people, stole their lands and resources, herded them onto reservations in violation of terms reached, treated them like subhumans.

Iranians aren’t fools. After 36 years of unrelenting US hostility, they’re under no illusions about Washington turning a new leaf. A ravaged Middle East alone reveals its intent to continue business as usual - aiming to replace all independent governments with US controlled ones, Tehran the number one target.

Lengthy negotiations leading to the Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - JCPOA) belied common knowledge of its peaceful operations, fully complying with Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) provisions - with no military component or evidence of an intention to have one.

Believing Washington intends abiding by JCPOA terms requires a giant leap of faith. US bipartisan policymakers can’t be trusted - not earlier, for sure not now with neocons setting the agenda on major geopolitical issues.

On December 30, the Wall Street Journal headlined “Obama Administration Preparing Fresh Iran Sanctions, saying the US Treasury Department intends targeting “nearly a dozen companies and individuals in Iran, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates” for allegedly aiding Iran’s legal ballistic missile program - unrelated to the nuclear deal.

Such action, if implemented, is a blatant JCPOA breach. Legitimate Iranian missile development has nothing to do with nuclear deal terms.

US Treasury officials claiming otherwise are willfully lying. When it comes to Iran, Washington systematically turns truth on its head - irresponsibly accusing the Islamic Republic of involvement in saber-rattling, regional destabilization and terrorism, saber-rattling, along with other nonexistent unlawful activities.

Guilt by accusation suffices, no independently verifiable evidence needed. Israeli Lobby policy on Iran is ferociously hardline - congressional members pressured to substitute toughness for rapprochement.

Normalized US/Iranian relations remain nowhere in sight, hostility continuing, Washington inventing reasons to punish the Islamic Republic unjustly, refusing to treat it like other members of the world community.

In response to Washington’s new sanctions threat, Iranian President Hassan Rohani ordered accelerated development of the nation’s missile capability - citing “hostile (US) policies and illegal and illegitimate meddling against Iran’s right to develop defensive power.”

“As the United States seems to plan to include the names of new individuals and firms in its previous list of cruel sanctions in line with its hostile policies and illegitimate and illegal meddling in the Islamic Republic of Iran's right to reinvigorate its defense power, the program for the production of the Armed Forces' needed missiles is required to continue more speedily and seriously,” he stressed.

Iranian military development is entirely for defensive purposes. The nation hasn’t attacked another in centuries, wanting solely the capability to defend itself if necessary - vital given longstanding US/Israeli regime change intentions with long ago prepared plans for war.

Rohani minced no words, saying “Iran’s missile program is not at all a part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)” - acknowledged by US officials, set to breach terms reached, how America consistently operates, more proof of its duplicity.

“(N)uclear weapons have no room in Iran’s defense doctrine,” Rohani stressed. “(D)evelopment and production of (its) ballistic missiles” are strictly for delivery of conventional weapons.

Washington’s intended breach comes after Tehran reduced its number of operating centrifuge machines from around 10,000 to 6,000 and sent over 8.5 tons of low-enriched uranium to Russia.

It’s fully complying with JCPOA terms as expected. Its word is its bond, proved by its actions - polar opposite how America operates ruthlessly and recklessly.

According to the Journal, Treasury Department sanctions being prepared “to two Iran-linked networks alleged to be involved in developing the country’s missile program and include sanctions on many of the individuals involved.”

“The sanctions would prohibit US or foreign nationals from conducting business with the blacklisted firms. US banks are also ordered to freeze any assets the companies or individuals hold inside the American financial system.”

Five Iranian officials are targeted - individuals at the Ministry of Defense for Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) and its subsidiaries. Ties to North Korea are claimed.

The Journal cited unnamed “US defense analysts” claiming (without justification) Iran’s ballistic missile development is solely to carry nuclear weapons - continuation of the Big Lie about its nuclear and military-related programs.

At the same time, major US and Israeli NPT and other international law breaches are systematically ignored - typical Western double standard hypocrisy.

A Final Comment

On New Year’s eve, the Journal reported Washington’s intent to delay implementing planned new sanctions on Iran, not change agreed on policy, “no definitive timeline” suggested.

Obama critics say they’re not tough enough. They want the entire nuclear deal scrapped. Some want war, bombing Iran’s nuclear and military facilities, risking millions of lives.

In a Wednesday email to congressional offices, the White House updated its intentions on imposing new sanctions, saying:

“We are considering various aspects related to additional designations, as well as evolving diplomatic work that is consistent with our national security interests, and as such we will not be announcing any additional designations today.”

“We will continue to keep you informed as we work through remaining issues.”

It bears repeating. Iran accepts no restrictions on developing its legitimate defense capabilities, including its missile program.

It remains to be seen how US/Iranian relations will unfold in the new year. Of greater concern is what happens when a new administration and Congress replace current ones in January 2017 - regardless of whether Democrat or Republican controlled.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.



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