WITH NUKE DEAL THREATS, U.S. SEEKS MORE CURBS ON IRAN
Washington wants to halt Teheran’s missile plan, curb regional influence
BLAWYER KOJI NIISATO, on Japan’s forced sterilisation programme Y threatening to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, the United States wants to halt Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its growing influence in the Middle East.
European leaders will be under pressure from President Donald Trump to renegotiate a broader agreement addressing those points.
But, Teheran refused to change a single comma of the deal it signed in July 2015, which lifted international sanctions in return for restrictions on its nuclear programme.
The deal curbs the Iranian nuclear programme for a period of at least 10 years.
The number of centrifuges used for research and development is limited until 2025, uranium enrichment is limited until 2030, and inspections by nuclear experts will go on until 2040.
But, Washington wanted to extend these restrictions, arguing that current measures only kick the problem down the road.
“It’s totally unrealistic to believe that Iran will accept perpetual limits on its sovereignty,” said the International Crisis Group in a recent report on the issue, quoting an anonymous French official.
Dalia Dassa Kaye, a Middle East specialist at the Rand Corporation, said that while “Iran would be unlikely to agree to new sunset provisions,” it might yet “be convinced to engage in preliminary discussions if European powers present an attractive economic package as a counter to the US”.
Teheran, facing a tough financial crisis, was waiting to feel economic benefits from the deal.
Washington wanted to tackle Iran’s ballistic missile programme, which it deemed harmful to security and stability in the Middle East.
The United Nations had warned Teheran against developing a missile that could carry a nuclear warhead.
Israel, which is within range of Iran’s missiles, considered this an existential threat.
Iran, which sees itself surrounded by US military bases and the arsenals of its neighbours, said the ballistic missile programme was purely defensive and would not be used for weapons of mass destruction.
It did not see its missiles as part of the nuclear deal and considered the issue to be non-negotiable.
“The Iranians view their ballistic missiles as a critical element for their national defence, so this may be one of the most difficult areas to push for limits,” said Kaye.
She said if the nuclear deal did not collapse, “missile discussions will need to focus on confidence building steps, like limiting missile ranges and testing”.
Iranian influence in the region is at the heart of US concerns. Washington had reiterated that Iran’s “hegemonic” ambitions in the Middle East violate the spirit of the 2015 deal, and had denounced Teheran as a destabilising force.
It has slammed Teheran’s “material and financial support” for “terrorism and extremism”, citing its backing of the Lebanese military and political organisation Hizbollah.