US has never been an honest partner to Iran: Marandi

Press TV has conducted an interview with Mohammad Marandi, professor at University of Tehran about the Geneva deal between Iran and the West and Russia’s concern in delaying its implementation.

The following is an approximate transcript of the interview.

Press TV: Let’s look at this situation. Mr. Lavrov has said that he is concerned about this situation.

Is there reason to be concerned? Do you think with what is taking place right now that this deal will continue to actually take place or is it going to be null and void?

Marandi: There are many concerns right now. I think one of the major concerns actually is the fact that the United States has decided to expand its sanctions against Iran.

This is not anything that has to do with Congress or the Senate actually. The Treasury Department, which is directly linked to the Obama administration has decided to include new entities – people as well as companies – in the US sanctions regime.

So, this is a major issue right now and many in Iran believe that all negotiation with the P5+1 must stop until these new sanction are removed.

So it’s not simply a delay by the EU, it’s the fact that the United States is not only moving against the spirit of the deal, but also against the deal itself.

Press TV: Why do you think we are seeing these moves talking about these sanctions by the EU, by the United States at this time after this agreement had to have been made in Geneva?

Marandi: I think that most would agree that this is nothing new. The United State has never been an honest partner when it comes to Iran.

The United States in 2010 told the Brazilian president as well as the Turkish prime minister that they will accepted to deal with Iran within a particular framework. The Brazilian president as well as the Turkish Prime Minister at the time came to Tehran, they signed the Tehran Declaration within that framework.

As soon as it was signed the United States slapped the Brazilians and the Turks in the face and went for new sanctions. So, President Obama’s signature really meant nothing there.

And in the past when Iranians negotiated with the United States on Afghanistan and Iran sincerely tried to resolve the problem in the country, the United States immediately went and called Iran an ‘axis of evil’.

So, in the past the United States has been untrustworthy when it comes to Iran and that is why now many people believe that the whole agreement is in danger of collapse.

Press TV: You said basically that Washington is not an honest broker. If this is the case why do you think we have seen things go this far as far as the new Iranian government?

Has there been a change in perspective? Do they think that the United States can be trusted? How do you see things that has gone so far?

Marandi: There are differing opinions in Iran as to how Iran should deal with the United States, but I think that for the time being – over the last few months at least – there has been a general consensus that we should give the United States a chance to show that it has changed its behavior towards Iran.

And that if the United States refuses to change then it reveals that the issue is not Iran’s; it has nothing to do with different Iranian administrations or presidents and that the problem really lies with the United States itself.