With the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal and with Americans ordering Europeans to stop dealing with Tehran, the remaining signatories are trying to figure out how to confront the U.S., says Enrico Carisch.
By Enrico Carisch
What can the five remaining signatories to the Iran nuclear deal do now that the Trump administration has trampled on Security Council Resolution 2231 and its 13 binding decisions, adopted under Article 41 of the United Nations Charter, which codified the Iran nuclear deal into international law? Sooner or later, the other 14 members of the Security Council, especially Britain, China, France and Russia, must decide how to confront their renegade permanent member, the United States.
Otherwise, the Council may lose its unique authority to prevent and resolve conflicts.
Specifically, the question they may soon have to confront will be how they can protect the resolution and the companies that comply with it when doing business with Iranians, given that Iran is subject once again to new U.S. sanctions.
The first broadside against the companies of U.S. allies that are doing business with Iran came minutes after President Donald Trump announced his withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, on May 8. Richard Grenell, his ambassador to Germany (and spokesman for the U.S. at the UN from 2001-2008), tweeted, “German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations immediately.”
The reaction was immediate, but it was outrage, not compliance, that German diplomatic and business leaders expressed.
“We have no understanding for the American call that German enterprises are expected to immediately drive down their business in Iran,” said Dieter Kempf, president of the Association of German Industry, a trade group. “German industry criticizes the application of extraterritorial sanctions that violate international law.”
French leaders lost no time in discussing countermeasures. Patrick Pouyanné, chief executive of the petroleum producer Total, is seeking European Union protection against likely American penalties for Total holding on to its 50.1 percent investment, worth close to $4 billion, in Iran’s South Pars natural gas project.
For international companies caught between respecting Resolution 2231 and new U.S. sanctions, the easiest solution would be to obtain exemptions from the U.S. Treasury’s Office for Foreign Asset Control. But the office has signaled that there will be little leeway once it would “begin the process of implementing 90-day and 180-day wind-down periods” for activities that were — until now — permitted under the JCPOA.
Hardliners Will Gain
Mnuchin: Giving orders. (Getty embed)
Reuters has also reported that Steven Mnuchin, the U.S. treasury secretary, is throwing cold water on hopes that waivers or exemptions will be granted.
Regarding the huge 200-passenger aircraft deal that Iran signed with Boeing, the American company; and other deals with Airbus, the European aviation consortium, and ATR, a French-Italian company, Mnuchin said, “The Boeing and Airbus licenses will be revoked.”
The Office for Foreign Asset Control has the ability to not only interfere with Boeing’s sales but also the European manufacturers’ dealings with Iran because “under the original deal, there were waivers for commercial aircraft, parts and services.”
While exemptions may save some foreign companies’ investments in Iran, those of strategic value to the country’s development and military strength will likely become the battlefield between U.S. sanctions and the UN sanctions relief that were mandated in Resolution 2231.
The result of weak protection from U.S. sanctions on Iran will be Iranians’ continued economic suffering. The sanctions-stunted commerce and development of their industries will almost certainly mean that President Hassan Rouhani will lose control of the government to hard-line conservatives.
In a repeat of the 2005 resurgence of Iran’s conservatives, which is already fermenting, the country could turn into everything that Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, have been deceptively claiming all along: that Iranians are aggressive nuclear proliferators and a threat to the regional Sunni hierarchy.
France, Germany, Britain and other European powers are united in trying to prevent a newly radicalized Iran from resuming enrichment of fissile material, which could trigger a new Middle East war. In a statement released immediately after Trump’s announcement on May 8, Prime Minister Theresa May, Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron declared, “We, the E3, will remain parties to the JCPOA.”
But Trump threatened in his speech from the White House, “Any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons could also be strongly sanctioned by the United States.”
Nevertheless, the three European heads of state pledged, “Our governments remain committed to ensuring the agreement is upheld, and will work with all the remaining parties to the deal to ensure this remains the case including through ensuring the continuing economic benefits to the Iranian people that are linked to the agreement.”
The U.S. Military Threat
Regional stability is, however, an issue that the U.S. apparently intends to deal with militarily, according to a presidential memorandum released on May 8 by the White House. Under the heading “Preparing for Regional Contingencies,” Trump instructed the secretary of defense and heads of any other relevant agencies to “prepare to meet, swiftly and decisively, all possible modes of Iranian aggression against the United States, our allies, and our partners.
The Department of Defense shall ensure that the United States develops and retains the means to stop Iran from developing or acquiring a nuclear weapon and related delivery systems.”
Did this chilling directive mean that the U.S. was preparing preventive strikes against Iran’s ballistic missile development facilities? The answer came quicker than most people would have expected.
Alleging a failed barrage of 20 Iranian missiles striking the Golan Heights, Israel’s defense forces (IDF) struck back at dozens of Hezbollah and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps positions based in Syria. However, neither the IDF website nor its spokesperson provided evidence for the alleged missiles attack. They also did not provide evidence, if the attacks did occur, that the missiles were fired by Iranian and not Syrian armed forces.
Citing Arab news channels, the Iranian news agency FARS reported only the Syrian army’s response. Al Mayadeen news channel, a media site based in Beirut, claimed “that 50 rockets were fired at 4 Israeli military complex centers in occupied Golan,” whereas the Syrian Al-Alam news channel reported the firing of 68 missiles.
Failing to explain why Iran’s forces should suddenly launch a small, unsuccessful attack on Israel, IDF noted merely that “this is the first time that Iranian forces have directly fired at Israeli troops.” The Guardian said the “analysis of who is to blame for this outbreak of hostilities demands even more than usual skepticism and careful un-packaging.”
Stopping Trump
So what can the Europeans do with China and Russia to stop the escalating violence between Israel and Iran and to blunt Trump’s undiplomatic — and possible military — assault on Iran and the tenuous state of Middle East peace?
Taking the matter to the Security Council makes little sense, as the 10 elected members have noted.
“Any attempts to discuss a new formula of the JCPOA minus U.S.A would be blocked,” explained several European and Asian representatives of the Council’s elected members, after Trump’s announcement. They assume that the U.S. ambassador, Nikki Hailey, is almost certainly under instructions to prevent further discussions about the Iran deal.
In addition, any proposed resolution asserting the primacy of Resolution 2231 over unilateral policies would, of course, be smacked down with a veto, as is the usual case with attempts to discuss Israeli threats — or provocations — to peace and security.
All of which now leaves the Security Council irrationally outmaneuvered.
It is one reason that Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, signaled his government’s commitment to continue collaborating with the rest of the world after the Trump announcement by offering to “spearhead a diplomatic effort to examine whether remaining JCPOA participants can ensure its full benefits for Iran.”
The signals from the remaining nuclear-deal signatories is that the strongest rebuke of Trump’s destructive move is to keep the deal’s formula, minus the U.S. participation, if they can do it.
This article originally appeared on PassBlue.
Enrico Carisch has worked for the Security Council as an investigator on sanctions violations and was an investigative reporter for print and TV for 25 years. He is co-author of the just-released book “The Evolution of UN Sanctions: From a Tool of Warfare to a Tool of Peace, Security and Human Rights.” He is also a co-founder and partner of Compliance and Capacity Skills International (CCSI), a New York-based group specializing in all aspects of sanctions regimes (http://comcapint.com).
Time and time again, CONSORTIUMNEWS readers and the EU governmental authorities at large, fail to realize all the implications behind the USD as a world reserve currency. The USD’s fate is now, inextricably tied to the aspirations and goals found in the PNAC document. These goals did not materialize out of thin air, they were based on the predictable, historically recognized, fate of all fiat currencies, that is, it boom-bust cycles and is self destructive (by) nature, this inevitably leads to a total collapse in commodity exchange value. Before the USD reaches it’s miserable end, the USA must project a specific military posture throughout the world, while we (still) can credibly extend such forces. What are the goals?
To, as much as currently possible, destroy nuclear arms proliferation. Secondly, preserve some control over oil flow, at the spigot points, namely Mediterranean harbors, pipeline construction, from where and to where and which energy rich countries form long term contracts with the EU and African and far east nations. We as a nation do not wish to leave in our “wake”, energy rich countries who desire nuclear weapons atop having the soft power of oil/gas reserves. To ensure that Western Occident corporate monies used to finance distribution systems, by sea or land, pipeline construction receive a return on their long held investments and have in place, a future security structure via (paramilitary groups, drone monitoring) once our sovereign government’s military dependence on a federal tax base collapses.
Let’s all try and understand something here; the day will arrive, rather suddenly I should think, when our projected military, foreign bases, will suddenly close, from Camp Bondsteel to Djibouti, they will all empty out, weeds will grow and military personnel at these bases won’t even have enough dough to by a ticket home. Before that day arrives, and it will, our nation must leave in place, governments willing to preserve the energy architecture that the West has slowly and responsibly buildt, ever since the days of the seven sisters, in particular, utterly destroy those governments who, as soon as the cats way (USA), will begin to play-with nuclear fire.
Iran has no credibility, it’s hidden motives are obvious, it’s assurances can be found in the paper document waved enthusiastically by Neville Chamberlain. China would have been more than willing to create the largest solar pannel farm in world history, across the sunny deserts of Iran and or introduce the Iranians to the Thorium 232 electrical energy generation stream. But no, and we all know why. Western Europe never learns and in the recent past, it’s been the joint and heroic efforts by Russia, USA and UK that had to clean up after their (repeated) political mistakes and banker intrigues. As always, be it Europe’s banksters and puppet masters (Rothschild’s) or those here in America (Rockefeller Goldman Sachs), the war profiteers are interfering with a long term, magnanimous goal articulated by world libertarian ism and political personages like Ron Paul and his son. Yes, the evils of PNAC and western Occident energy moguls, their CEO’s, can be persuaded, in effect turned, to give the world a hopeful future instead of a thirty nation, nuclear armed, future where the likelihood of a third world word war will be a sure bet.
Oh, and Kim Jong-un, that better be a peace pipe your smoking, because if turns out to be BS, my statements above should give you the greatest pause for concern, for North Korea and your own personal survival ! I can assure you, Un, our POTUS means business and his tail is, frankly, very long….
Not the first time the US has armed terrorists and the entire CIA infiltrated US media has covered it up.
Massive Compilation of Media Material Proving April 7, 2018 Chemical Attack in Dhouma Syria Was a False Flag Conducted By The White Helmet Terrorists https://steemit.com/news/@clarityofsignal/compilation-of-media-material-proving-april-7-2018-chemical-attack-in-dhouma-syria-was-a-false-flag-conducted-by-the-white
Chronicling Western Media Exploitation of Syrian Children: UK’s Channel 4 News Portrays White Helmets and Nour al-Zinki Terrorists Who Beheaded 12 Year Old Boy As Ordinary Farmers and Factory Workers https://steemit.com/informationwar/@clarityofsignal/chronicling-western-media-exploitation-of-syrian-children-uk-s-itv4-portrays-white-helmets-and-nour-al-zinki-terrorists-who
Large Compilation of Clarity of Signal Most Important Investigative Posts (March-May 2018)Exposing White Helmets, False Flags And Propaganda Produced For War in Syria
https://steemit.com/news/@clarityofsignal/large-compilation-of-clarity-of-signal-most-important-investigative-posts-march-may-2018-exposing-white-helmets-false-flags-and
As an American citizen, who cannot in anyway influence my country and it’s bad choices. So I urge the rest of the world to finally focus on the biggest threat to world peace my own United States. You all want to stop us? Then urge your leaders to impose the strictest U.N. Sanctions against the U.S. We are now the most Evil Empire the Earth has ever seen.
Whether or not you agree, IMHO I believe the Israeli and Western MSM version has misrepresented who and what was targeted and hit.
According reliable websites and reports, including Sic Semper Tyrannis (Col. Patrick Lang’s site) and The Duran (which has published detailed analyses by Alexander Mercouris and Eric Zuess on this operation), as well as Islamic World News and SouthFront (which are go-to sites for Middle East war reporting)- and the Russian Military and Ministry of Defense (which, unlike the US Coalition has been extremely precise and reliable in its reporting), it was NOT Iranian bases that were targeted, but the Syrian missile defense system. Furthermore, Russian and Syrian Intelligence is said to have fully tracked the Israeli operation, and while Israel invested many planes in the attacks, at least half, or more of the Israeli missiles were intercepted- and in response to the Israeli attacks, it was the Syrians, NOT the Iranians, that counterattacked the Golan Heights.
According to ISWNews, Syrian missiles targeted the following Golan sites:
Military center of electronic and eavesdrop
Secret center of information and surveillance 9900
Military center of electronic counter attack
Military center of eavesdropping of networks in west of Golan
Center of relaying
Center of observation for pinpoint weapons
Military airbase of helicopters
Military base of unit 810 of Israel Army
Military base in Harmoun
Ashtoy military base for special units of winter war
Whether or not these sites were destroyed or damaged, the Syrians sent a message to the Israelis that the Golan (including its oil and gas operation) is no longer safe from attack- notably, this was the first of its kind after many years- and I interpret Israeli Defense Minister Lieberman’s comment that Israel regards this chapter as closed, as indicative that, while Israel, which, up to now, has been unrestrained in its attacks against Syria, now knows that the Syrians are able to, and will, respond more proactively- and effectively.
IMHO, given the facts of this incident, including the close participation of Russian Intelligence and missile defense personnel (at least with regard to some of the more advance missile defense systems)- as well as Russia’s restraining influence over Syria- which I believe, may have limited Syria’s response to precision targeting of the Golan, as opposed to Israel proper- Putin’s invitation to Netanyahu was a stroke of diplomatic genius. While Russia has intervened on the side of Syria, I see Putin as positioning Russia as the most impartial interlocutor and broker with respect to all of the parties- i.e., Israelis, Palestinians and their Middle East neighbors- including Russia’s partners in the Astana process, Turkey and Iran. Maintaining a relationship with Israel, whether or not it includes a public relations charm offensive with Netanyahu, which some may find ‘humiliating’ is critical to that objective. What’s critical on the ground is what is really happening, not the Western propaganda version of what is happening.
As for the rest of Syria in the past few days, the SAA has defeated ISIS in South Damascus, and signed an agreement with the militants the area adjacent to the ISIS strongholds to leave, As for the East, there are reports that the SAR has made progress in Deir Ezzor and militia groups on the Iraqi border have captured ISIS leaders, and that the SAR is negotiating with the Kurds, who by now should know that they are pawns and the U.S. will not stand by them if the going gets tough. My guess is that it is only a matter of time before the U.S. bases become so isolated, and find themselves under pressure, that our military will have to leave.
I forgot to add- what does Israel have that Russia might want? Technology and investment capability. And don’t think that Israel would not violate U.S.sanctions while publicly advocating for them, if it were to their benefit or advantage. After all, when Israeli spy Jonathan Pollack stole some of our most important military secrets, what did the Israelis do? They turned around a sold some or all them to the Soviets.
Normally, I am no big fan of Multinational Free Trade Agreements in general, or most especially, of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement Courts that are used to enforce them. But, could not these Courts be used to force the United States back into compliance with the JCPOA? This would be a very good use of something that is usually very bad.
All of this has nothing to do with Iran and everything to do with destroying the E.U. “Fuck the E.U.” as Ms. Nuland so eloquently stated. As far as the U.S. is concerned, our “allies” are nothing but business competition and a “strategic partnership” is nothing but a bunch of guys waiting around to stab each other in the back.
The deal is, the rest of the world including China and Russia need to grow a combined backbone and stand up to this Evil Empire called the United States, even if it hits them in the pocket book. If not, long after Iran, the Uncle Scam will use this leverage again to get its way. More Tweets to the US ambassador to Germany to come? If it makes any difference, I am from Minnesota
The US should not have so much control. The Security Council rules must be changed
Europe and other countries already had problems dealing with Obama’s sanctions on Russia. Merkel yesterday said Europe needs to learn that they can’t depend on the US, France’s economic minister said harsh words ending with their need to “quit clinging to the trousers of the US”. They need to jerk themselves fully awake and exercise their mental abilities to flip the bully the bird creatively. Turkey says they’ll continue business with Iran. Juncker of the EU has even said it’s time that Europe take over to lead and not the US.
Anytime a bully is allowed to dominate and is not confronted, that bully will not stop, as everyone knows. Shocking or disappointing on RT was an article that recent polls show some Democrat support of Trump since he turned hawkish; Clinton spoke out in support when he hit Syria last year. One person’s comment on RT was, “No wonder they (US) get along so well with Israel — they murder, murder, murder. They keep it up inside their borders, too, thanks to the NRA”.
How long will Europe be content to play obedient lap-dog to a rogue Uncle Sam? It’s the USA and its Israel satellite state that is a threat to world peace, and should be under international sanctions.
The adage, “whistling in the dark” comes to mind. China and Russia will back Iran; the other signatories to JCPOA will cave to the US pressure. It is time Russia and China reacted militarily to military attacks from the West or they will be whittled down to irrelevancy. Putin, diplomacy is not working. Where are those new, modern weapons we heard about. I
The article by Enrico Carisch uses the phrase “Israel’s defense forces (IDF) struck back” and links to the IDF website.
https://www.idf.il/en/minisites/terror-and-threats/idf-strikes-iranian-targets-in-syria/
Following a well-established pattern of Israeli war provocations, the IDF site portrays its “wide-scale attack” on Syria as a “response”
No mention is made of numerous attacks carried out by Israel over the course of the Syrian conflict against both Syrian and Iranian positions.
Israel has violated international law by attacking a sovereign state (Syria) and another nation (Iran) invited by the legal government to help defend it against externally supported insurgents.
Israel has fired at Iranian positions and killed Iranian soldiers. Iran did not fire first.
Justified under international law on the basis of self-defense, Iran fired at Israeli positions in the Golan Heights, a territory that has been illegally occupied and annexed by Israel.
Unless I misinterpreted, according to the BBC the present situation began with an Israeli provocation (attack) which prompted the 20 Iranian missiles which led to the Israeli massive attack. BBC also stated that Israel had prepared for the attack.
Israel has been punching Syria for so long now, and with relative impunity, that the rest of the world scarcely notices anymore, unless it’s on a really big scale.
When will the Europeans wake up and realize they have chosen to be on the wrong side of history in choosing to back the totally selfish, untrustworthy, and evil American Empire bent on ruling the world with it’s huge military? If they continue backing this failing and immoral enterprise, then they deserve everything they are going to get, including being ground zero in a made in the USA Nuclear War!
Really the USI needs to be sanctioned and boycotted, but so many are frightened by the big bully.
What I like about Trump is how he does it. There is no finesse, no private discussions, no honey offers, no show that the European nations are “partners”. There are only demands, orders for compliance and large doses of ugly threats to his European, “partners?” He uses no honey, only big giant sticks and clubs. It’s as if all of Europe is being “sanctioned.” What’s great about it is that it exposes the European nations for what they truly are. Groveling Sycophantic Vassal states. Putin has been saying all along,but no one really believed him. Now we all see it. It’s all exposed for all the world to see. How clever of Putin to call the US Russia’s “partners”. He is the only real “partner”. The rest of them are not even “junior partners” They are all nothing more than “stock boys” working in the back room of the Trump Tower, Inc.
Great post, and spot-on!
I would expect the European nations to cave in, but there is one solitary hope that they won’t, and that all depends upon the psychopath the US has in the White House. Need I name him? He sure knows how to push buttons and issue threats and he spares no words.. He a tried and true psycho, and may have a full blown psychotic episode if he sees European nations dragging their feet. That may do it.
But if the Psychopath had no supporters, he could do nothing.
Pass a binding resolution to expand 2253 and 1441 to permit Russia, China, France, and the UK provide exclusion of US military. Without a unanimous vote, the matter can go to joint session.
I am just wondering. If the US government can arbitrarily forbid Airbus to seel aircraft to Iran because some of their parts are made in the USA, where does that leave huge American computer manufacturers – most of whose actual microprocessors are made in China and other nations?
Does that mean those other nations can forbid the US companies to sell their computer systems in any countries the foreign manufacturers disapprove of?
Actually, what the US can do is forbid the export of parts made in the US. Failure to honor that prohibition can lead to hefty fines. Companies that have no American presence (i.e. no operations, no banking operations) can ignore a fine levied by an American court of law as their own country is unlikely to enforce the American fines. But if you do have American operations, your bank accounts can be frozen and your assets seized to satisfy the judgement. The only way that Europe can put a stop to this kind of crap is by saying something like “If you impose a penalty on a European business doing business with Iran, we will seize your huge base at Frankfort-am-Main (or any of the other major bases that the US has in Europe). You will not be able to use it for any purpose or be able to enter it.” But the Europeans are pussies and won’t do that.
So far they have not used their backbones as per design specs. If the pattern holds true, they will desert Iran when sanctions start to bite in 90 days. I don’t see how EU countries can protect their bank accounts in the short time left.
> saying something like “If you impose a penalty on a European business doing business with Iran,
> we will seize your huge base at Frankfort-am-Main (or any of the other major bases that the US
> has in Europe). You will not be able to use it for any purpose or be able to enter it.”
Don’t even need to do that: if the German government would simply obey its own legal obligations, and forbid the U.S. using Ramstein Air Base as a relay station for drone assissinations and as a logistics hub for the wars in the Middle and Near East, a large part of these criminal activities would come to an abrupt halt.
If anyone is still wondering why Trump would do such a monumentally stupid and destructive thing, read this:
https://cluborlov.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/the-us-pulled-out-of-iran-nuclear-deal.html#more
A very interesting point of view. I would be delighted were it to be correct.
The article claims that the USG fears that the maturing obligation to return 100-120 billion seized after the 1979 Iran revolution would actually destabilize the dollar and flagging market for US bonds propping up deficit spending, avoided by dropping the JCPOA.
Apparently the argument is that because Iran would dump the dollar payments for other currencies, about ten percent of dollars in circulation, the dollar would fall and bond purchases drop.
Seems that the same increase in dollars in circulation would occur if Iran just spent the dollars normally.
Or the US could save up other currencies like the Yuan in foreign trade and pay Iran in that currency.
Or it could offer Iran US treasury bonds (although presumably they would sell those with similar effects).
Or pay Iran over several years to reduce the impact.
A UN resolution easily trumps anything the US government can say or do. (Not that the “US government” often does anything as a whole: its fingers are usually crossed behind its back, as in “the President signed this but unfortunately Congress can’t be persuaded to ratify it”).
Who cares what Steven Munchkin says? Iran will find that Russia and China make excellent aircraft, civil as well as military.
This is the time for the UN to take disciplinary action against that rogue nation and sponsor of terrorism: the USA.
The UK and France are hardly in a position to throw stones, as their own glass houses were recently exposed in the illegal and capricious violation of international law, as well as the UN Charter, by their participation in recent missile attack on Syria.
True; and it makes it harder for them, if they considered doing so, to criticise the disgusting Israeli reaction just after Netanyahu’s invitation to Moscow for the Great Patriotic March.
I’m coming to a point where I may start cheering the Trump regime. The US’s dash toward total world dominance depends on having relatively faithful satraps in the EU and Japan. This is worth billions of dollars to the EU collectively and that’s on top of the billions that they’ve lost as a result of US sanctions on Russia. The only way for the EU to push back against the extraterritorial reach of US law is to write their own extraterritorial law that punishes US banks and corps for the actions of the US government. It’ll be interesting to see how that works but Trump, by way of his incompetence, is the cause of the EU making such a decision.. I have little sympathy for the EU. They could have, like Russia and China, refused to subordinate themselves to the US but they didn’t. Now they have to try to extricate themselves. What I find interesting is that the actual master statesman in the world today, Vladimir Putin, cut Russian military spending in the face of massive US military spending increases. I’d love to know what he’s thinking.
Putin made things clear in his March 1 address, in which he unveiled a new level of strategic weapons, based on “new scientific principles,” 20-30 years ahead of those of the West. Quality, not quantity.
Yes, one wonders if the EU act out of stupidity or cowardice or fear of the US.
Macron states it is unlawful by the US to impose sanctions unilaterally on Iran. True, but what does he make of the sanctions against Russia that he is part to?
Ms Merkel repeats what really should be done, rid the EU of the US “protective” military. But, the US already have established a wedge of loyal Trojan horses in Poland, the Baltics and recently sadly Sweden and Finland.
European leaders are beginning to realise that the money they get isn’t enough once their voters begin to see what’s been going on.
“Iran Deal Partners Mull How to Confront ‘Renegade’ U.S”.
Hey, what’s with the quotes around ‘Renegade’?
The US dominated the world in 1945. The Soviet Union was wrecked, most of Western Europe (excluding Scandinavia) was wrecked, China was involved in a huge civil war.Since then, in a futile attempt to retain its dominance, the US has done nothing but invade, corrupt, or destroy other countries unwilling to accept its dominance. It thus aroused antagonism around the world and its moral stature has waned and will continue to wane. The exit from the Iran deal is a step of desperation as the US dollar gradually loses its status as the world currency and the military of other nations grows closer to that of the US.
Probably we should not assume some grand strategy by US leaders, but a desire to profit from constant warfare and to enjoy the sufferings of 3d world people.
Here is a fascinating look at the direct connection between the United States and Iran’s nuclear program:
https://viableopposition.blogspot.ca/2018/05/irans-nuclear-capability-american.html
It is interesting to look back in history to see what a tangled diplomatic web has been woven when it comes to Iran and its nuclear program, a web that was largely woven by the United States.
The only time Iran has ever had an active nuclear weapons program was under the Shah – under the direct instigation of Washington.
Thank God, the Supreme Leaders of Iran since the revolution have decreed nuclear weapons unislamic and therefore not to be thought about.
Germany, France and Italy appear pretty fired up about their businesses suffering due to the petulance of Washington (Britain less so).
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/11/europe-prepares-countermeasures-against-us-iran-sanctions
I don’t find this particularly surprising, leaving aside the nuts and bolts of why scraping the deal was a monumentaly dumb move, the act itself is an insult to European commercial sovereignty.