The Final Step Until the Revival of the JCPOA Remains
The final step until the revival of the JCPOA remains as the news of the U.S. sending its official response to Iran regarding the JCPOA agreement text has been the top news in recent days. Speculations about the end of the story of Iran and the U.S.’s decision regarding what is known as the revival of the JCPOA, as expected, present contradictory approaches and predictions.
In the meantime, after the U.S. response was sent, considering the statements of American officials and beyond the speculations of international media that are not particularly fond of the Islamic Republic and Iran, it must be said that the U.S. response is nothing more than an emphasis on the importance of the existing agreement text, which is originally the product of Europeans. Now, the fate of the JCPOA in its current state, and not entirely, is left to Iran and the ruling system to decide based on the U.S. response.
The JCPOA Worked and Continues to Work
The key point about the JCPOA and the nuclear agreement, which has often been overlooked in news reports and analyses, is the nature and reality of the JCPOA. Since its formation before its finalization in 2015, this agreement, especially for Iranians, was portrayed as a path to economic opening and particularly as a means to pay money to Iran. This specific approach is not meaningless given the natural result of a coherent agreement, which is the lifting of unjust sanctions.
It is not entirely meaningless. One must consider that the image presented by officials and hostile forces about the JCPOA is also something along the lines of pouring money into Iran. However, the reality of the JCPOA is nothing but streamlining, planning, and targeting the structure of controlling Iran’s nuclear program, which must be done through the International Atomic Energy Agency. Based on this, the operational consequences and precise implementation of this program are the lifting of sanctions imposed on Iran related to its nuclear program.
The illusion of the JCPOA’s downfall with Trump’s claim of the U.S. withdrawal from it caused many analyses and reports to make a fundamental mistake about the JCPOA and its function. The Rouhani administration rightly and based on Iran’s interests and the honor of our country highlighted Trump’s behavior and emphasized the Americans’ breach of promise and the dishonorable nature of his administration’s sanction efforts. Nevertheless, it should have been understood that the structure of controlling Iran’s nuclear program was working to the maximum extent.
The U.S. could not even take a step towards removing other JCPOA parties from the agreement. Almost all changes and developments Iran made in its nuclear program were informed to the International Atomic Energy Agency beforehand or afterward, and contrary to many perceptions, disputes over the agency’s control and supervision did not reach a serious peak. It was during the most sensitive bargaining conditions for Iran to gain concessions that the agency’s cameras were reactivated, the enrichment level increased, and the enriched uranium stockpile was almost always reported to the agency. The JCPOA has worked and continues to work.
The Importance of the Full Revival of the JCPOA
If the JCPOA is to work fully and under normal conditions, it requires Iran’s understanding of reality and the respect and honor of Americans towards Iran and its people. The most important function of Trump’s behavior towards the JCPOA was to open the hands of his friends, namely Saudi Arabia and Russia, in the oil market, and they increased their production to the peak. Erdogan, another important friend and partner of Trump, thanks to the JCPOA, brought numerous blessings and fleeing investments from Iran to his country.
The unrest and military and security tensions in the ever-Persian Gulf were also the result of Iran’s efforts to show its importance, and these movements and conflicts at various times and in various instances were the result of the same reality. Iran’s nuclear program is so controlled that there is no space for Iran’s maneuver and show of power in it, and direct confrontation with the Israeli and Saudi governments was a possible solution.
A report by the U.S. Congress Research Institute, which is one of the best examples for understanding the assessments, analyses, positions, and strategies of this country’s government, recently prepared and presented a specific case regarding Iran’s nuclear program for Congress members. The unprecedented approach, assessment, and analysis of the future in this report are based on the confidence of the Biden administration and its allies in their ability to control Iran’s nuclear program.
Apart from dispelling the doubts caused by the Western opponents’ lies about the JCPOA, the explicit and clear references in this report to the understanding of American nuclear and military experts about the nuclear program are noteworthy. It should be considered that, in any case, controlling Iran’s nuclear program through an international expert structure and the IAEA is the main priority for many specialists in the current administration.
Otherwise, control through military means and specific operations is another tested and successful solution that leaves little concern for those who want to prevent Iran from possibly approaching nuclear weapon development by any means. Naturally, politicians and experts who are knowledgeable and influential in this matter want nothing but a peaceful, expert, and comprehensive understanding path.
The Fate of the European Agreement is Key
From the perspective of the overall agreement reached in Vienna and the text prepared by Europeans, which all JCPOA parties have been satisfied with, the attention of the current government in Iran and our country’s rulers to the serious reality of Europe’s vital role in JCPOA interactions is natural. It is natural that the results of bilateral negotiations between Iranian and American security officials in recent years have been satisfactory for the Iranian side, and the interactions of both sides have led to new understandings with Saudi Arabia and the UAE and even a softening of relations with a country like Egypt.
However, the JCPOA developments in the past month have shown the power and importance of Europe’s role. The monopolistic and profiteering sanction atmosphere that the ruling economy benefits from owes a significant part of its working space to the spaces that Europeans still leave open for Iran. The various interactions in the past month with European countries and agreements like the prisoner exchange agreement with Belgium demonstrate the benefits of engaging with Europe. If Iran rejects this European agreement text, it will lose vital European opportunities. The JCPOA works and will continue to work. The cost of Iran’s complete non-cooperation with it, of course, is not easily compensable.
