Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei doesn’t just want to restart the nuclear deal with the U.S. He dictating to President Joe Biden the terms he expects to move forward. Iran has imposed a deadline for next week for America to reverse sanctions imposed by former President Donald Trump.
In a televised speech, Khamenei stated, “”We have heard many nice words and promises which in practice have been broken and opposite actions have been taken. Words and promises are no good. This time (we want) only action from the other side.” While Biden has mentioned plans to revive the 2015 nuclear deal started under former President Obama, specific plans have yet to be made.
Most recently, Iran has pressed for removal of American sanctions as the first step. Biden officials have requested that Iran’s government must begin with compliance to the original deal. Yet Iran seems to have no plans to comply in any regard, with Trump ending the Iran nuclear deal following evidence the nation was not complying prior to 2018.
The mood has certainly shifted between Washington and Tehran. While Trump would never allow Khamenei and company to negotiate the terms of a deal under his presidency, Biden has yet to respond to the increasingly heated rhetoric from Iran’s leadership. European leadership continues to urge openness to nuclear inspections, with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi offering to visit Tehran to develop a “mutually agreeable solution.”
But does anyone really expect Iran to abide by outside inspections of its nuclear program? Armscontrol.org reports that just last month, “The IAEA releases a new report detailing Iran’s plans to conduct research and development activities into uranium metal production, seeking to eventually design an improved type of fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor. That reactor runs on 20 percent enriched fuel. This action marks another violation of the JCPOA, which prohibits Iran from producing or otherwise acquiring uranium metal for fifteen years.”
The group also noted on January 4, “The IAEA releases a report confirming that Iran has begun producing uranium enriched up to 20 percent uranium-235 at Fordow.” Its stockpile was reported last year as being at 10 times its limit.
Based on past evidence, it won’t matter what concessions Biden or the U.N. makes with Iran. The rogue nation will continue its plans and tell the rest of the world whatever it wants. Their ongoing controversies have even led nations such as Saudi Arabia to condemn their efforts, seeking collaboration with western nations to thwart Iran’s progress.
Former President Trump not only ended the Iranian nuclear deal; he also began building efforts to isolate Iran from future progress. From economic sanctions to the Abraham Accords agreements between Israel and Middle Eastern nations, his leadership added four years of peace from Tehran’s hostility.
Instead, Biden appears to be moving back once again to Obama’s approach. Even worse, his naïve dealings with Iran look more like Jimmy Carter in the 1970s. America cannot afford another Iranian blunder. Our nation needs strong leadership willing to confront and limit the actions of the Iranian regime.
