Although diplomacy between the US and Iran is difficult, it would be positive if Washington could find ways to incentivize Tehran to curtail its nuclear activities while making these activities more transparent in exchange for some lifting of sanctions, even if outside the JCPOA framework, Giorgio Cafiero told IRNA.
In response to a question about the reason for the enmity of the Westerners with Iran after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he said, “The Shah of Iran was useful to US foreign policy interests during the years in which he was in power.”
“During the Cold War, the Shah was Washington’s important partner at a time in which the US was worried about Soviet influence and Arab nationalism in the Middle East,” he added.
“In the words of President Richard Nixon, Iran, Turkey, and Israel were Washington’s 'cops on the beat' on the Arab region’s periphery,” he stated.
“The demise of 2,500 years of Persian monarchy in 1979 was a major blow to America,” he stressed.
Cafiero went on to say, “The Islamic Revolution had a major impact on the region that very much unsettled the United States and other Western powers.”
“Ever since 1979, Washington has seen Iran as a major threat to the interests of the US and many of its allies and partners in the Middle East and beyond,” he added.
“For decades Iranian and American foreign policy agendas have clashed despite certain instances of the two countries' national interests aligning such as the Taliban's 2001 removal,” he stated.
Elaborating on the causes of the spread of Iranophobia and Islamophobia on the part of some western countries and the support of those who fuel these policies, Cafiero said, “It is difficult to exaggerate the extent to which the 1979-81 hostage crisis made Iranophobia so ingrained in America.”
“That tense episode humiliated the US, and many Americans have not forgiven Iran for that crisis,” he added.
“Then after the US invaded Iraq in 2003, Iran played a role in opposing the American occupation which also contributed to much hatred in the US for the Islamic Republic and, more specifically, the IRGC,” he noted.
“When the US and its allies were occupying Iraq following the 2003 invasion many Americans came home in body bags or with injuries due to Iran-backed Shi’a militias attacking US forces in the country,” he said.
Commenting on the reason why burning the Koran and insulting the sacred beliefs of Muslims are supported by Western countries, he said, “It is important to understand that most officials in Western governments and members of Western societies are against the agendas of hateful people behind Koran-burning demonstrations.”
“Those in the West who carry out such heinous acts are extremists. But, unfortunately, extremists can prove influential and they take advantage of freedom of speech protections in countries such as Sweden to spread bigotry and Islamophobia,” he added.
Reacting to Europe following some of America's wrong policies in the world, especially with regard to Iran and the consequences of such policies, Cafiero said, “European powers were put in a difficult situation after the Trump administration unilaterally pulled the US out of the JCPOA in May 2018.”
“There was no EU member-state which supported that move and European officials were worried about its consequences,” he added.
“Yet, given the influence that Washington has over EU members and the extent to which America has such a powerful role in the international financial system, European countries complied with the sanctions that Trump’s administration imposed on Tehran,” he stated.
“However, because of the war in Ukraine and [the West's claim of] Iran’s role in the conflict there is now much more support among European statesmen for anti-Iranian policies," he noted.
Considering America's record of breaking promises in various fields, especially withdrawing from JCPOA and some international treaties, and whether Washington would be a reliable party for any agreement and negotiation, he said, “With presidential elections every four years in America, US foreign policy can change in some significant ways depending on which candidate wins and enters the White House.”
“The Obama administration negotiating the JCPOA with Iran and other countries, and then eventually signing the multilateral accord only to have the Trump administration trash the 2015 deal was an example,” he added.
“My personal view is that it will now be harder for the US to convince other countries in the world to enter nuclear non-proliferation deals down the line, especially if elements in America’s political arena oppose such accords and would pull Washington out of them if empowered to do so.”
“All politicians, countries and members of the Security Council consider the JCPOA to be the best international agreement, but due to the internal events in Iran, the focus of the Western countries are on the unrest, and negotiations to revive the JCPOA are off the agenda,” Cafiero said.
When asked about his solution to Western countries, especially the US, to resume negotiations on JCPOA revival, he said, “The prospects for a JCPOA revival are extremely dim.”
“No realistic analyst expects the 2015 accord to be reconstituted in the foreseeable future,” he added.
“Despite Biden-the-candidate campaigning in favor of bringing the US back into the deal, there has not been a restoration of the JCPOA since Biden became president just a little more than two years ago.”
“My advice to team Biden would be to pursue diplomacy when addressing the Iranian nuclear file.”
“Although diplomacy between the US and Iran is difficult, it would be positive if Washington could find ways to incentivize Tehran to curtail its nuclear activities while making these activities more transparent in exchange for some lifting of sanctions, even if outside the JCPOA framework.”
9376**9417