US not respecting Iran nuclear deal even in rhetoric: Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with Scott Rickard, a former American intelligence linguist from Orlando, and Daniel Serwer, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, to discuss recent comments by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei about Iran’s deep distrust of the US.

Rickard says the US authorities do not respect the spirit of the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries - the US, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany – even in rhetoric.

He adds that American officials level allegations of supporting terrorism, developing nuclear weapons and violating human rights against Iran as a pretext to escape their commitments under the nuclear deal, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

He says over 40 million people have been killed throughout the globe because of Washington’s pro-war foreign policy. “The US needs to stop taking over nations both with the civilian side and the military side,” he states.

Serwer, for his part, believes the United States has not violated the terms of the Iranian nuclear agreement. He also says the “officials in Washington believe that they are fulfilling every letter of the nuclear deal.”

The professor says the remainder of sanctions against Iran is not nuclear-related, adding that issues in Tehran-Washington ties must be dealt with separately outside of framework of Iran’s nuclear dossier.

“There are reasons for distrust on both sides, and the only way to get around those reasons is to sit down and one by one discuss the issues and see what kind of settlements are possible,” he concludes.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk