The Iran-US Nuclear is stagnating: Will Sayyed Khamenei revise the Nuclear Fatwa?

The Iran-US Nuclear is stagnating: Will Sayyed Khamenei revise the Nuclear Fatwa?

Iran has received messages from the US through Qatar, Oman and Tehran

Written by – Elijah J. Magnier:

With the nuclear file reaching its conclusion, signs of a new crisis are emerging that may once again divert its path away from a solution. What are the reasons, and how long can the nuclear file remain stuck?

At the IAEA Board of Governors meeting, the director-general Rafael Grossi issued a warning statement reviving an old accusation against Iran, long ago bypassed by the West. The charge relates to the existence of three Iranian sites where traces of uranium were found, which came out in public more than ten years ago. This “rabbit” was taken out of the IAEA hat even before the US, and several European nations had signed the nuclear agreement in 2015, closing it- though it seems now it was only frozen. 

This IAEA accusation strongly provoked the Iranian leaders, despite the realisation that because there is no trust between Iran and the West, Tehran can only expect negative surprises from countries and organisations subject to US control and dictates, including the IAEA.

It can be no coincidence that Rafael Grossi had just visited Israel and met with its Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett. The latter stated that the IAEA Director is his friend and to send a message to Iran about the “extent of coordination with Israel”. Of course, this visit of the Director of the international nuclear agency, which exerts no control over hundreds of secret Israeli nuclear missiles, angers Iran. The IAEA is supposed to lead a technical team and be above politics. Therefore, Iran accused Grossi of formulating Israeli-inspired accusations – because they stand firmly against the nuclear deal – and pointed out that his damaged credibility and impartiality make his position and functions no longer viable.

The nuclear file was proceeding through its last stages. Still, it was halted due to President Joe Biden’s not removing the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) from the list of sanctions added by President Donald Trump to twist Iran’s arm after tearing up the agreement in 2018. Trump believed that including the IRGC on the terrorist list would bring Iran to the negotiating table on US terms. However, for the Biden administration, removing the IRGC from the terrorist list is unrelated to reviving the nuclear agreement. Consequently, according to the Biden administration, Iran has no right to demand this.

But is President Joe Biden domestically ready to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)? The US administration does not consider that the nuclear file, despite its importance, is a top priority. A general conviction is that the nuclear agreement remains better than Iran acquiring atomic bombs despite the disadvantages of this agreement to Israel and the Gulf countries if revived. The US administration considers there is no hurry- since Biden took office, the harsh US sanctions have been in place. This administration is aware that Iran is selling its oil and is “turning a blind eye”-due to the market’s need for energy, consequent to the severe sanctions against Russia and the western wish to replace Moscow’s oil.

Proofread by: Maurice Brasher