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Nuclear accord proved Iran negotiating power: Pundit

Sunday, 17 January 2016 5:51 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 17 January 2016 7:55 AM ]

(L-R) Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif , IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini arrive for a news conference in Vienna on January 16, 2016. ©AFP

Press TV has interview Gareth Porter, an investigative journalist from Washington, and Jim Walsh, with the Security Studies Program of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from Boston, to discuss the implementation of the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries.

Porter said the nuclear agreement “represents really primarily a negotiating accomplishment for the Iranian side.”

The US resorted to economic and military levers to coerce Iran into relinquishing its nuclear program, but Washington’s military threats and sanctions failed to make the Islamic Republic give up on its nuclear rights, Porter said.

He added that the administration of US President Barack Obama is committed to implementing Washington’s part of the agreement as the American authorities see the accord, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in line with their interests.

Pointing to the US’ response to the missile program in Iran, Porter maintained Washington’s rhetoric against the Islamic Republic’s missile tests seems to be a “phony argument” for domestic use and to convince Saudi Arabia that the United States is still an anti-Iranian power.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini hold a joint press conference at the International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna on January 16, 2016. ©AFP

Walsh, for his part, describes the nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group as “a victory for all the parties” because the agreement “removes one of the major disputes in international relations” and reassures the world powers about the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.

He highlighted angry reactions of Saudi Arabia and Israel to the diplomatic efforts on the Iranian nuclear file, saying the two regimes are merely irked by the lifting of anti-Tehran sanctions.

“Saudi Arabia was against the nuclear deal not because they had real [nuclear-related concerns], they were just against it because they didn’t want Iran to get sanctions relief,” he argued, adding “Something similar could be said about Israel.”

He added a Republican president cannot rule out the JCPOA, because “if they rip up the deal, they would be blamed and negative consequences will all flow to the US.”

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