The mullahs understand the world in terms of strength and weakness. They see Biden’s handlers as weak. And Biden’s handlers are doing everything they can to reinforce that impression. And so the mullahs are more emboldened and aggressive than ever.
“US eyes major rollback in Trump-era Iran sanctions to revive nuclear deal,” Associated Press, April 28, 2021:
The Biden administration is considering a near wholesale rollback of some of the most stringent Trump-era sanctions imposed on Iran in a bid to get the Islamic Republic to return to compliance with a landmark 2015 nuclear accord, according to current and former US officials and others familiar with the matter.
As indirect talks continue this week in Vienna to explore the possibility of reviving the nuclear deal, American officials have become increasingly expansive about what they might be prepared to offer Iran, which has been driving a hard line on sanctions relief, demanding that all US penalties be removed, according to these people.
Americans officials have refused to discuss which sanctions are being considered for removal. But they have stressed that they are open to lifting non-nuclear sanctions, such as those tied to terrorism, missile development and human rights, in addition to those related to the nuclear program.
Biden administration officials say this is necessary because of what they describe as a deliberate attempt by the Trump administration to stymie any return to the deal. Under the 2015 agreement, the United States was required to lift sanctions tied to Iran’s nuclear program, but not the non-nuclear sanctions.
When President Donald Trump re-imposed sanctions after withdrawing from the deal in 2018, he not only put the nuclear sanctions back in but also added layers of terrorism and other sanctions on many of the same entities. In addition, the Trump administration imposed an array of new sanctions on previously unsanctioned entities.
This has put the current administration in an awkward position: Iran is demanding the removal of all sanctions. If the US doesn’t lift at least some of them, Iran says it won’t agree to halt its nuclear activities barred by the deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.
But if the Biden administration makes concessions that go beyond the nuclear-specific sanctions, Republican critics and others, including Israel and Gulf Arab states, are likely to seize on them as proof that the administration is caving to Iran. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has led the charge among Trump alumni to denounce any easing of sanctions.
Former Trump administration officials say all the sanctions are legitimate. Gabriel Noronha, a former State Department senior adviser on Iran, said all the Trump-era sanctions had been approved by career Justice Department lawyers and would have been rejected if they weren’t legitimate.
But a senior State Department official involved in the negotiations said officials now “have to go through every sanction to look at whether they were legitimately or not legitimately imposed.”
The official, who like the others spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks, also said the US would be prepared to lift sanctions that would otherwise deny Iran the benefits it’s entitled to under the deal, not just those specifically related to nuclear activity. Those sanctions could include restrictions on Iran’s ability to access the international financial system, including dealing in dollar-based transactions.
“There are sanctions that are inconsistent with the JCPOA and as we have said, if Iran resumes its compliance with the nuclear deal … we would be prepared to lift those sanctions that are inconsistent with the JCPOA,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said last week. He declined to elaborate on what might be “inconsistent” with the deal….
“The administration is looking to allow tens of billions of dollars into the coffers of the regime even if it means lifting sanctions on major entities blacklisted for terrorism and missile proliferation,” said Mark Dubowitz, a prominent Iran deal critic and CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
“They’re even looking to give the regime indirect access to the US dollar through the US financial system so that international companies can clear transactions with Iran through the US dollar,” said Dubowitz, who is frequently criticized for his hard-line stance on Iran but has also been asked for his views on sanctions by the administration….
Infidel says
Why not go all the way, and resume full diplomatic relations w/ Iran? Move back into the embassy there, and make John F’ing Kerry the first ambassador. In fact, make Iran the 51st state, and the Dems can have 2 more senators and however many more reps from that state. Oh, and move the capital from Washington – named after a slave owner – to Teheran
wpm says
Just send Hunter Biden over there with he is the “smarts man I know” according to Joe “Corn Pop” fighting Biden. Hunter will get peace finely in the Middle East with the “Big Guy ” getting his 10 percent piece! Just tell him (hunter) to leave his lap top at home and get a burner phone!
Infidel says
He also is such a big expert on oil/energy, and would be the perfect man to resurrect Iran’s floundering oil industry. All that experience from Ukraine and Kazakhstan would come in handy ?
gravenimage says
Biden’s handlers mulling wholesale rollback of most stringent Trump sanctions on Iran in bid to revive nuke deal
…………………..
Sadly, it’s not as though we didn’t see this coming. Castigating our staunch ally Israel, and playing footsie with our enemies Iran.
And Iran isn’t even pretending to want peace–instead, they are sneering at us and saber-rattling. Utter madness.
curious george says
+1
gravenimage says
Thank you, curious george.
Joel says
Could Biden`s goal to be to force Israel into a major attack on Iran`s nuclear capabilities? If so, what will Biden`s response be? With so many Israel haters in his administration, I`ll guess that major punishment will be Biden`s response to Israel pro actively trying to protect itself (and all of the Sunni ME nations), but, I`m not sure what kinds of punishment will take place. Israel is being forced into a Hobson`s choice….
Terry Gain says
As Obama himself said, the Iran deal only required Iran to refrain from enriching uranium to nuclear grade level during the currency of the agreement, that is to say for 10 years (now 4 years and 3 months). After that Iran was free to proceed in any way it wanted. And the Iran deal did not restrict Iran’s development of missies or its terrorist activities at home or abroad.
This made the Iran deal not merely bad, but insane.
DAVID R MORRISON says
The koran proves beyond a doubt that koranic followers must never be trusted ! These followers are hoist by their own petard !