State Department Says Success Of Iran Policy Was Uniting Allies
US State Department’s outgoing spokesperson Ned Price says the major success of the administration regarding Iran has been forging unity with allies.
US State Department’s outgoing spokesperson Ned Price says the major success of the administration regarding Iran has been forging unity with allies.
Asked by Iran International’s correspondent how he judges US policy on Iran after no diplomatic successes in two years, Price argued that Iran poses “a number of challenges, and we’ve always been clear-eyed that those challenges are difficult – they are complex; they cross into many different realms.”
Price claimed, “when you take a look at each one of those realms, you have seen us work with allies and partners in ways that meaningfully protect our interests and promote our interests.”
However, since President Joe Biden signaled his readiness in 2020 to revive the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran, known as the JCPOA, the Islamic Republic has dangerously increased the level of its uranium enrichment, first to 20 and then to 60-percent purity starting in early 2021.
It also increased oil shipments to China despite US sanctions and continued its meddling in the Middle East. Tehran has also refused to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and in fact has substantially reduced the UN watchdog’s monitoring capacity at its nuclear installations.
The Biden administration also agreed to hold indirect talks with Iran to revive the JCPOA, with Russia playing a major role until its attack on Ukraine last year. Talks lasting 18 months came to a deadlock in September 2022, as Iran stonewalled while it was shipping kamikaze drones to Russia.
Price also admitted that Iran did not conduct honest negotiations. The “Iranian regime has not been true to its word when it said early on in this administration that it sought a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA. It has consistently proven itself unable or unwilling to do so,” Price said.
“When it comes to Iran’s nuclear program, of course this is one of those core challenges. But I think when you look at where we are now as opposed to where we had been or where the previous administration had been, we are now united with our European allies,” Price said, highlighting the only area of success in two years.
Former President Donald Trump’s unilateral style in foreign policy had annoyed the Europeans, who often just tolerated his moves but were clearly unhappy. But the same cannot be said about US allies in the region, where both Israel and the block led by Saudi Arabia agreed with Trump’s policy of ‘maximum pressure’ against Tehran.
With the latest move by Saudi Arabia to re-establish diplomatic ties with Iran under Chinese guarantees, clearly shows regional allies are not sure about the Biden administration’s ability to handle Iran.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking to reporters in Ethiopia Wednesday tried to put a positive spin on the development, saying, “anything that can help reduce tensions, avoid conflict, and curb in any way dangerous or destabilizing actions by Iran is a good thing… And to the extent that China facilitated conclusion of this agreement to restore diplomatic relations, that’s a good thing.”
This will be seen by many as an admission that China is able to provide security to Saudi Arabia while the United States has somehow left a void.
As China, Russia and Iran began naval drills in the region less than a week after the Chinese-brokered deal, one administration critic tweeted, “Wondering if we’ll hear from more anonymous US officials saying, ‘ultimately, this a good thing’.”
Ebadi -- who was awarded the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her pioneering human rights efforts, especially for women, children, and refugees -- addressed MEPs, urging the EU to maintain pressure on the Iranian regime over human rights violations.
She called on MEPs not to turn their back on the protests in Iran, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, during which more than 550 people have been killed and more than 20,000 arrested so far. "Do not give in to this regime," she appealed to the parliament, insisting that "sanctions work" against the Islamic Republic’s authorities.
"Subordinate aid to Iran, contracts with Iran, and treaties with Iran to respect for international norms, otherwise the money will not benefit the Iranian people at all," said the activist, who now lives in exile.
Before the Iranian opposition figure took the floor European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti delivered speeches about empowering women, reiterating that the International Women's Day – which was celebrated globally on March 8, must be seen as an invitation for societies to do better.
“International Women’s Day is marked in our annual calendar not only to recognize the achievements of women and girls across the world but also as a call to action,” Metsola said. “A rallying point to strengthen gender equality across all spheres of our society.”
Paying homage to Ebadi, she said, “Your presence is a reminder that the fight will not cease, and that freedom requires courage and sacrifice... Women will not go silently into the night. They will not give up. And the European Parliament will continue to stand with the women of Iran.”
“Today I want to honor all those women who are fighting for their freedom and inclusion; women who are killed, beaten, and abused all over the world just for being women…All those women who face all this and remain unbowed and unbroken,” she added.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also praised all the courageous Iranian women fighting for their “freedom to show their hair or cover it, to study, work, to love without asking for anyone’s permission” and for inspiring women across the world.
Ebadi emphasized that Iranian protesters’ demand is regime change under the slogan “Woman, life, freedom,” and called on democracies not to remain indifferent to human rights violations in the country.
Describing the dire situation of imprisoned journalists, lawyers, artists, activists and young schoolgirls, she decried the absence of a functioning and independent justice system in Iran. "Don't look away from the immense violations of fundamental rights in Iran," she called on the MEPs.
Ebadi also urged the world to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – the IRGC – as a terrorist group. The 27-nation European bloc has so far stopped short of formally labelling the IRGC a terror group, despite calls to do so from Germany and the Netherlands as well as several rounds of rallies by Iranian diaspora communities to push for blacklisting the outfit. She categorically said, “the Revolutionary Guards is a terrorist group," and urged the UE to "say it officially."
Reassuring that Europe would benefit from a democratic Iran, she said if democracy is established in Iran, not only will the number of refugees fleeing from the region be reduced but also peace and calm will be brought back to the region. "Democracy is the key to Iran's future, it is the key to peace and stability in the whole region, and it is also in your interest," she argued. "If democracy comes to Iran, there will be fewer refugees in your country."
Mansoor Haqiqatpoor also suggested that "radical elements" should no longer be on the negotiating team. "I hope the radicals' power in Iran will be reduced. I guess [President Ebrahim] Raisi has realized how radicals can do harm to Iran's foreign policy. They have prevented the talks from being fruitful."
Speaking to conservative Nameh News website, Haqiqatpoor said, "I hope the officials have realized that radicals should not be put in charge of decision-making as they will push Iran into international isolation."
He added that the negotiations can lead to positive results if Iran’s team changes its approach. I suggest that even if Araqchi is not put in charge of the negotiating team, he should at least be an adviser to the team."
Araqchi was Former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's deputy, and he led Iran's nuclear negotiators under the Rouhani administration until mid-2021.
While some say that talks in the first half of 2021 under Araqchi were yielding results, the hardliner team under Raisi, who assumed office in August of that year, dragged out talks with the West until the diplomatic effort reached an impasse last September.
Meanwhile, in an interview with centrist Agahi-ye No magazine, former moderate vice President Es'haq Jahangiri said that former US President Donald Trump withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal known as the JCPOA and reimposition of sanctions dealt a hard blow to Iran's economy.
He said when Trump decision pushed “all our friends in various countries” to distance themselves from Iran. China which was cooperating with Iran on the Tehran-Mashhad rail line, was the first country to stop its projects and pull out of Iran. Then, the French energy company Total said they cannot continue working with Iran. China was Total's trade partner, and the Chinese should have continued working, but they too said they cannot go on with projects to expand the Persian Gulf gas fields.
"From 2018, under the circumstances we changed tracks from the country's development to helping with the people's livelihood. All we wanted to do was protect the people and help them to survive. I was one of the biggest defenders of domestic production, but I knew that without international trade we could not succeed," Jahangiri said.
At the same time, while many politicians in Iran have pinned their hopes on a possible breakthrough after IAEA chief Rafael Grossi's visit to Iran in early March, Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization told the press on Tuesday that he is neither optimistic nor pessimistic about the future.
He said the IAEA was supposed to investigate nuclear traces in Marivan area where Uranium-236 has been traced. Kamalvandi said the trace dates to old activities by Russians in the area. But instead of looking for answers for their original questions, the IAEA inspectors raised new questions.
He charged that world powers do not want Iran to gain nuclear power and benefit from its economic, industrial and technological aspects. However, he did not say that Europe and the United States, as well as Iran's neighbors in the region are scared by the possibility of Iran developing nuclear weapons.
He also ignored the fact that Iran’s uranium enrichment closer to weapons grade has led to more international concerns. He also acknowledged that resources spent on the nuclear program have adversely affected Iran's economy.