Partial relief for Iran

While the US President, Donald Trump agreed to extend the waivers for sanctions on Iran, the US Treasury imposed new sanctions on 14 Iranian individuals and entities over Tehran’s alleged human rights abuses and ballistic missile program. Washington also imposed sanctions on the head of Iran's judiciary. This is the third time Trump has waived economic sanctions on Iran under a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers. The United Nations and the European Union have lifted most nuclear-related sanctions but those unilaterally imposed by the US going back decades remain in place.

The reasons cited by the US to continue these are human rights violations, support of terrorism and pursuit of a ballistic missile programme. However, Trump has only hesitatingly waived sanctions now despite his strong inclination against it, as he feels that the Obama regime deal is highly flawed. The question making rounds now is how long will this last?

The new deal which Trump seeks to impose on Iran and involving Britain, France and Germany would impose tougher controls on Iran if sanctions relief is to continue. He is also planning to pursue a follow-on agreement strictly with the European partners to the Iran deal even as the present deadline for certifying Iranian compliance is in approximately 90 days. This next deal only further insults Iran. The condescending attitude of Trump was complimented by the US administration which imposed another set of sanctions.

If Iran is cut-up with it, it has a very good reason, after all. The sanctions against 14 entities and people, included the head of Iran’s Judiciary, Ayatollah Sadeq Larjiani. This is where Trump has crossed all lines of conduct in the international community violating international law. Two days ago, Iran declared that it would not accept any changes to its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani mocked Trump for failing to kill off the Iranian deal despite the US leader’s election promise taunting the latter on his failure to keep his word. Larjiani is one of the most powerful leaders of Iran having been appointed by the Supreme Leader himself to lead the Judiciary and he had been sanctioned by the European Union in 2012 for personally approving and overseeing the imposing of horrific punishments. The US fears that a nuclear Iran could become a great challenge to the western powers in future as it is suspected of aiding groups such as the Hezbollah (of Lebanon) and Hamas (of Palestine) among others. Its concerns also stem from the fact that even its allies like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and others are alarmed at the Iran's aggressive regional policy.

The latest decision of the US administration certainly plunges the middle-east into further chaos with a resolute Iran's defiant stand. In 2013, President Rouhani announced that he had spoken with President Barack Obama about resolving the nuclear issue that had plagued Iran’s relations with the West for the past decade. The 2015 agreement along with China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK was to see the US gradually roll back sanctions against Iran. Then Trump happens!