Sputnik: In your view how likely Iran is to agree to a deal that could curb its ballistic missile program and also have an effect on its support for any armed groups?
Dr. Foad Izadi: Zero, Iran is not able to enter a new agreement with the United States, because the US just withdrew from the agreement that we had. It will be a political suicide for any Iranian politician to argue for negotiating with the United States or reaching a new agreement with the US, when the result of that would be the new US president after Donald Trump getting rid of it, when he or she gets into the White House. Like Trump did to the legacy of Obama. So basically Iran is not available for new talks.
What the European and the Russian government, and the Chinese government can do is that they can implement the agreement that they are a part of; they are a part of it. You have P5 +1, US is out; you have P4 +1 now. These countries that negotiated the nuclear agreement can actually do things that are beneficial to Iran.
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Based on the agreement, the basic formula for the agreement was that Iran would substantially reduce its nuclear program and then banking restrictions would come off. Iran’s oil sale, Iran’s economic exchange, international companies will increase. Iran has done what Iran was supposed to do. The International Atomic Energy Agency has already certified eleven times that Iran has been complying with the nuclear agreement. The United States was never really in the agreement and the Europeans were not able to do much to make sure that the benefits that Iran was supposed to get under the agreement will actually come to Iran.
I think Russia, China and European governments, countries that are part of P5+1, can actually sit down together and come up with a mechanism that will ensure some sort of benefit from the nuclear agreement for Iran. And if that works, there is a big if there, then people in Iran, politicians others can argue for negotiations on other issues of concern.
Right now after, two weeks since Trump has announced that he is getting out without any justification, without any benefit to Iran from the other agreement, talking about a new agreement is not going to work out.
The views and opinions of Dr. Foad Izadi, are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.
