The war of words between the US and Iran over the latter’s nuclear and missile development program continued on Tuesday.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani threatened to restart “within hours” some of the activities Tehran agreed to stop under the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“The world has clearly seen that under (President Donald) Trump, America has ignored international agreements… in addition to undermining the (nuclear deal),” said Rouhani. “The United States is not a good partner or a reliable negotiator.”
He added: “The deal was a model of the victory of peace and diplomacy over war and unilateralism. It was Iran’s preference, but it was not and will not remain Iran’s only option.”
This raises doubts about the prospect of the survival of the deal, which puts limits on Iran’s nuclear enrichment activities.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has imposed new sanctions on Iranian entities connected to the missile development program after Tehran launched a rocket capable of putting a satellite into orbit last month.
Iran’s continued testing of missile technology has generated a heated debate between Iranian and US officials over the “spirit” of the JCPOA, and whether such activities violate the deal.
While Tehran says its missile development activities do not violate the JCPOA, the Trump administration declared early in its tenure that it had put Iran “on notice.”
Senior US officials have also said they do not draw a distinction between Iran’s nuclear and missile development activities, and its policies in the Middle East and beyond, especially its continued support of militant groups.
Trump administration officials have said they are evaluating the “totality of Iran’s malign behavior.”
Asked about the implications of Rouhani’s remarks, Mark Dubowitz, chief executive at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank, said: “This threat is further proof that Iran’s nuclear program is not for peaceful purposes, but a weapons program that will be used to blackmail and intimidate.”
He added: “The JCPOA will survive as long as the Iranian regime needs further relief to rebuild its economy in order to immunize itself from future sanctions and to fortify its regional power. Once it achieves those objectives and establishes an industrial-size nuclear program, it will be in a strong position to walk away.”
Michael Eisenstadt, Kahn fellow and director of the Military and Security Studies Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told Arab News that Rouhani was likely appealing to his domestic audience in those remarks.
“Rouhani’s warning is part of an effort to deter the US from implementing the most recent sanctions that were passed by Congress and signed by the president, as the administration has significant latitude in how it implements these sanctions,” said Eisenstadt.
Rouhani “also has to protect himself from accusations by his domestic opponents, in the Revolutionary Guards and elsewhere, that he’s soft on the US. So to some extent, I see this as posturing on his part.”