icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
3 Apr, 2015 05:07

​US gets ‘incredible deal’ offering Iran no real sanction relief

The US is getting an absolutely incredible deal with Iran, receiving everything it wanted, while the Islamic Republic – after all concessions – was again placed at the mercy of IAEA, according to Hooshang Amirahmadi, President of American-Iranian Council.

RT:How do you think this deal could change the balance of power in the region?

Hooshang Amirahmadi: It has a long way to go, because the nuclear issue was isolated from other problems that the United States has with Iran, including the Arab-Israeli conflict, the very existence of Israel, terrorism issue, the human rights issue, and so on. And the Middle East is becoming increasingly more complicated as a place: A lot of failed states around, and many may even follow later on.

So it is a very complicated situation. And the US finds itself on different sides in different conflicts. And they are also not having a good time in the Middle East. My hope is, and everybody’s hope is, that the impact will be positive. But then again before it can have that positive impact, the US and Iran need to quickly move in the direction of normalizing relations. Otherwise there will be further problems that would impact negatively this very nuclear deal. I’m very concerned about the fact this Middle East context, which is a very dark, new geopolitics, will impact, will make this nuclear deal unsustainable.

RT:Why do you think we have seen this turn around in American stance with Iran?

HA: Well the bottom line is this. Iran as a member of the NPT had every right to do enrichment, unlimited. The only right it did not have is to divert. And of course the issue developed when Iran was caught red-handed cheating in few places. And that became the source of the problem. Remember at the end of the day, Iran as a member of the NPT has the right to enrich the uranium, to have research and development and all kinds of stuff. So Iran is paying all the price that it is paying for the cheating supposedly. And of course that cheating created mistrust.

READ MORE: Tehran and world powers reach solutions on Iran nuclear program

And what happened now, the agreement coming into being, in fact will take Iran way beyond the Non Proliferation Treaty and will basically tie Iran’s hands behind [its back]. It will keep it at least 10 years standstill on nuclear issue.

So I think US has got a great deal, absolutely incredible deal here. And I’m absolutely shocked that the Islamic Republic would go that far. And after all these concessions, Iran hasn’t really got any sanction relief. In fact the sanction relieve is conditioned on the IAEA confirming that Iran is clear and clean. And that has been the problem.

So in a way, Iran was sent back to the IAEA. And at the mercy of the IAEA, God forbid, if the guy who controls the IAEA does not like this Islamic Republic.

RT:How long will it take for them to lift sanctions?

HA: Again remember, I don't know whether or not you have seen the text the State Department has just issued? And this text that the State Department has just issued, if that text is correct, then Iran is not really getting the sanctions lifted from US. The US sanctions are just going to be simply suspended. And even in the text it says that European sanctions are going to be also suspended.

POTUS: The best way to prevent the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran is through diplomacy. http://t.co/T3lcU0f3UTpic.twitter.com/DViMJ54CMw

— Department of State (@StateDept) April 3, 2015


It also says that even he UN resolution that would be lifted, will be replaced by another resolution that will incorporate some of the troubling aspects of those other resolutions. So I don’t know what it is that people are talking about sanctions being relieved or lifted.

Most importantly the sanction relieve or suspension really is in the hands of the IAEA. And even if IAEA says as you say tomorrow that it is ok, it will take a long time for the sanctions to be lifted. Some of them may take ten years! In fact even today, a lot of sanctions against Iraq and Libya have not been lifted.

RT: We’ve got three months now hammer out this deal. In your opinion is that very likely to happened?

HA: I don’t think so. I’ll tell you what: please first understand, everybody should understand that this is not an agreement, that just came out, this is an “understanding”. The US government doesn't even want to call it an understanding, they have said “the parameters of a comprehensive joint plan of action...” they do not even want to call that an understanding.

Beyond that, it is a very, very vague document, extremely vague document. Already Tehran is saying that what the State Department is saying is wrong, is false and hypocritical. And of course the US is standing on its foot. I think what we are going to see in the next few weeks is a dispute on what they actually agreed on.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0