The Iran Nuclear Deal Must be Here to Stay

Donald Trump’s speech at the opening of the United Nation’s General Assembly on the 19^th of September did not go unnoticed. His discourse, in which he threatened Kim Jong-un and the North-Korean people with the “complete destruction” of North-Korea and in which he blasted Iran, calling it corrupt and tyrannical, was polarizing to say the least.

Donald Trump calls the nuclear deal ‘one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into’, even while all the signatories to the deal reaffirmed later that same day in New York that Iran is executing the deal.

De-Nuclearize

‘It is a good deal that is essential to peace at a time when the risk of an infernal conflagration cannot be excluded.’

The Iran Nuclear Deal has made the world a considerably safer place, that is the message of several world leaders in their speeches to the General Assembly. France’s President Macron was clear: ‘Renouncing it would be a great error, not respecting it would be irresponsible, because it is a good deal that is essential to peace at a time when the risk of an infernal conflagration cannot be excluded.’

The Iran Nuclear Deal, which was signed in July 2015 between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (The US, the UK, Russia, France, and China) and the European Union, is considered a great success by most of the international community, and has been called ‘the world’s most robust nuclear verification regime’ by the General Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Iran agreed to severe limits on its nuclear activities and its stockpile of related materials such as uranium and hard water. In the Nuclear Deal it was agreed that if Iran were to drastically reduce its nuclear power, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on the country earlier would be lifted.

‘The outlook for Europe’s and the world’s security improved considerably’

The NMBA argues that the agreement has had a very concrete and material impact. As an example, Iran has dismantled two thirds of its uranium enrichment centrifuges and shipped more than 10.000 kilograms of uranium out of the country. It has moreover allowed unprecedented access to its nuclear facilities by external inspectors.

As a result of the agreement then, the outlook for Europe’s and the world’s security improved considerably.

Accusations without Foundation

In recent months however, the Donald Trump administration has more than once threatened to walk away from this agreement. The Trump administration argues that Tehran has not complied to the Iran Nuclear Deal, arguing that Iran is still ‘spinning too many centrifuges, having too much heavy water.’

During the IAEA inspection of Iran’s Nuclear power Plants earlier this month however, they did not report any violations of the terms set in the deal. The statements of the US president therefore remain without foundation.

Doomsday

Many leaders of the world agree that the consequences of ending the agreement would be considerable. In the case of the Nuclear Deal being jeopardized by the US, the chance that the deal will be renegotiated with tougher conditions for Iran, as the US wishes to do, is highly unlikely. In a NBC News Broadcast the Iranian president said that, if Trump decides to breach the agreement, ‘no one will trust America.’

‘The precipitation of another Middle Eastern Crisis would be around the corner.’

World leaders fear that the most likely consequence of such derailment would be that Iran would take on a hostile position and restart its nuclear program. The precipitation of another Middle Eastern Crisis would be around the corner.

European leaders and diplomats have communicated their concerns for the US’ intentions to derail the agreement. If Donald Trump would go it alone anyway, US and EU relations would be harmed and further cooperation in the UN security council would be severely complicated.