Leader’s of Islamic Ummah and Oppressed Imam Khameni’s remarks, warning to US allies to defend JCPOA

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has warned that Iran will cut the nuclear deal with six world powers into shreds if the other party chooses to tear it up. This came after US President Donald Trump refused to certify Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Press TV has talked to Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran as well as Neil McCabe, national political reporter for Big League Politics, to get their opinion on this issue.  

Mercouris believes Ayatollah Khamenei’s remark is an “inevitable response” to Trump’s new strategy on Iran, adding that it is intended as a “warning” to the United States’ European allies in order to take practical measures in the face of Washington’s threats to the deal.

“What Iran is basically saying is that if you want to see this thing work, if you want to continue to work with Iran, to maintain this agreement, then you must act to restrain Washington from tearing it up entirely and I think one of the things that must be on Ayatollah Khamenei’s mind is the suggestion from the US, from Trump that the US Congress impose further sanctions on Iran,” he said.

The analyst went on to say that what Ayatollah Khamenei is saying to the Europeans is that they must stand up with Iran to defend the nuclear agreement; otherwise, the Islamic Republic will proceed to develop its defense capabilities “as it considers appropriate”.

A senior Iranian official has already said the Islamic Republic’s missile power and its national interests are not up for negotiations.

‘Iran missile might, national interests non-negotiable’

A senior Iranian official says the country’s missile might and national interests are non-negotiable.

Meanwhile, Neil McCabe, the other panelist on the program, noted the United States has “very serious concerns” about the way Iran behaves in the Middle East and its influence around the world.

He further cited the Iranian navy vessels’ “hostile” action toward American warships in the Persian Gulf, and the operations against the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq which the United States has been protecting for many years, as examples of Washington’s concerns.

Elaborating on Trump’s remarks about Iran violating the “spirit” of the nuclear deal, the analyst said the assumption among Americans was that there was going to be more cooperation between the two countries and that the Islamic Republic was going to be less hostile to the United States and its allies but the agreement really dealt with a very small area of concern which was the nuclear program.

In response to McCabe comments, Mercouris highlighted the fact that Iran is an important player in the Middle East, arguing that it is an “absolutely normal behavior” for a country to defend the interests of its neighbors in the region.

The analyst also maintained that using “extraneous issues” concerning Iran’s conduct in order to justify Washington’s decision to “wreck” the nuclear deal is “completely wrong”, emphasizing that walking out of “an important international agreement” in such a way would make “the whole system of international relations impossible”.

‘Iran to cut JCPOA into shreds if other side tears it up’

Ayatollah Khamenei warns against any attempts by the US administration to renege on the Iran nuclear agreement.

Mercouris also pointed out the fact that the nuclear agreement carries “the word” of the United States. Therefore, he said, Trump’s decision to leave the deal will make Washington an “unreliable” partner and further isolate the country.

However, McCabe opined that the nuclear deal does not have “the force of law” as a treaty because it was never ratified by the US Senate, asserting that Trump can leave it whenever he decides to do so because the agreement is not binding.

He also stated that if US former president Barack Obama has told the world that this agreement “was going to stick”, then it is his responsibility to explain “why he sold people a bill of goods”.

Mercouris disagreed with McCabe’s comments, saying that the nuclear agreement is not a treaty ratified by the Senate but rather a deal agreed by the United States in conjunction with its allies which has been supported by the UN Security Council.