ElBaradei Takes Trump to Task Over Illogical Iran Sanctions

EghtesadOnline: The 2015 nuclear deal is a “perfect” treaty to assure the world of the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, and negotiations about any other concern should be built on this agreement, the former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

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14 July 2019

In a recent interview with BBC, Mohamed ElBaradei added that reaching a new agreement after completely destroying a previous deal would not be possible.

He was referring to the United States' last year withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Tehran’s nuclear program and its maximum pressure on Tehran, which is aimed at forcing the country to come to the negotiating table for a new deal that would include other areas of western concerns, such as Iran's regional behavior and missile program.

"You have to decide what you want. If you do not want them to have nuclear weapon, that deal is perfect for that. It at least guarantees 10 years when they will not put their hand on any nuclear hardware," Financial Tribune quoted him as saying.

According to ElBaradei, any other worries about Iran's activities would be a different issue and should be addressed through a separate mechanism.

"Don’t throw the baby with the bathwater; build on the nuclear deal," he advises.

Iran denies any military aspects to its nuclear activities and says the program is just for civilian uses.

Dead-End Street

ElBaradei described the current US policy as that of “a bull in a china shop” that completely destroys everything and then calls for a meeting to "put the crystal together".

"It doesn't work, this is a dead-end street to me," he said.

US President Donald Trump, according to the ex-IAEA chief, left a deal that "has been working 100%, agreed to by the entire world, fully verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"People need to understand they are absolutely very far away from any nuclear weapon; they are not an imminent threat in any way," he said.

He strongly censured the US administration's approach, saying it lacks any "rationale", "legal basis" and "commonsense" and brings to mind the days before the Iraq war.

"The new crazies as I used to call them are going out of their way to find a way for confrontation, for violence," he said.

A US-led coalition invaded Iraq in 2003 and overthrew the government of executed dictator, Saddam Hussein. The conflict continued for much of the next decade.

"If that's what they want to do, go to war, they're doing a perfect job," ElBaradei said.

He compared the Trump's maximum pressure as a “waterboarding” method to drown Iran while ironically offering dialogue without precondition.

"Which country is going to negotiate, cooperate under this humiliating condition?"

Iran has rejected the American offer of talks while harsh sanctions are in place and has taken reciprocal action by gradually reducing its nuclear commitments so as to prompt the remaining parties to try to safeguard its interests as they have pledged.

ElBaradei said these are just "symbolic reactions by a country that cannot import medicine right now, because of the gruesome sanctions by the US".