Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 24
By Saeed Isayev - Trend:
It is no secret that much of the U.S. Congress and the Israeli lobby are very unhappy with the Iran-P5+1 nuclear deal, member of Centre for Iranian Studies of London Middle East Institute, political analyst Dr. Ghoncheh Tazmini told Trend.
"They are also preparing increased economic penalties to impose on Tehran if any part of that deal is breached," Tazmini said.
The U.S. and its Western allies suspect Iran of developing a nuclear weapon - something that Iran denies. The Islamic Republic has on numerous occasions stated that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons, using nuclear energy for medical researches instead.
Iran managed to strike a nuclear agreement with the P5+1 group, according to which, the Islamic Republic has agreed to curb some of its nuclear activities for six months in return for sanctions relief.
On Jan. 12, Reuters reported citing U.S. president Barack Obama as saying that the U.S. and other nations would begin to give Iran "modest relief" on economic sanctions as long as Iran lives up to its end of an agreement.
In December, the White House released a statement which said Obama would veto a new Iran sanctions bill, if it's passed. The mentioned bill calls for "diplomatic, military and economic support" to Israel in case Tel Aviv decides to launch an attack against Iran's nuclear energy program.
"People in Washington that were responsible for clinching this nuclear agreement need to work hard to keep hard-liners and naysayers in check - the biggest concern for Iran is that the other side will falter, thereby strengthening the domestic hard-line argument, and undoing all of the diplomatic acrobatics needed to cut a deal in the first place," she said.
Ghoncheh Tazmini said that aside from those opposing the nuclear deal in Iran and the U.S., there are also Persian Gulf countries, which fear that Iran's nuclear deal with West might work, paving the way for Iran to resume its pre-revolutionary role as a Shia regional power and a counterweight to the influence of the predominantly-Sunni monarchies.
"Hassan Rouhani has achieved remarkable diplomatic progress since his investiture, not least breaking the 34-year taboo of talking directly to the US at the highest level," Tazmini said. "This would not have been possible without the Supreme Leader's support."
"The Supreme Leader openly criticised those who labelled the Iranian nuclear negotiation team as 'compromisers', warning that they had a difficult mission and that no one should 'weaken an official who is busy at work'," she noted.
In the end, she said that Barack Obama is still in a better position, compared to Hassan Rouhani in Iran.
"Let us not forget that Rouhani does not have the luxury that Obama has of being securely in his second term," Tazmini noted.
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