In an exclusive interview with IRNA in Islamabad on Saturday, Fahd Husain, who has 30 years of experience in journalism and media management, said that everything depends on change of leadership in the US as far as Iran is concerned.
“Obviously it was Trump’s decision to walk out of the JCPOA despite lot of opposition not only domestically from democrats but also from European allies but he did it, so from what I can see if there is a change and democrats ends winning the White House there are bright chances that they will revisit Trump’s decision, come back to the table,” noted Hussein.
The English-language Dawn newspaper is Pakistan's oldest newspaper which was founded by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah in Delhi, India, on 26 October 1941.
**Washington's chance to negotiate with Tehran
Fahd Husain expressing his views said as far as the JCPOA is concerned, Pakistan has always been in support of the pact, it was a nuclear pact which was negotiated with a lot of detail and it had all the key stakeholders involved in it so it was a very promising and welcome step.
“Everybody including Pakistan was looking forward to a lot of promising results from that, unfortunately US President Donald Trump pulled out of it but the encouraging thing is that the European countries are still very much holding on to the pact,” he said.
He said Pakistan has also said very clearly and I personally also believe that it is a pact that can only have win win results not only for Iran but for the key stakeholders as well as this region, so Pakistan has also stake in that.
“I understand why the government of Pakistan has good things to say about the pact, I believe and hope if there is a change in American leadership perhaps the Americans can come back to the table,” noted the editor.
He added the pact is there, the Russians and Chinese have played very important role in that, if there is change in the leadership indeed in America perhaps they can come back on the negotiating table and have the pact come back into the operation which would be for the good of everybody.
The senior Pakistani journalist added that Trump's victory would mean the continuation of his tough policies toward Iran, and we believe that Trump will cause more problems between Iran and the United States.
**Europe welcomes interaction with Iran
Fahd Husain said if US returns back to negotiation table, I think the Europeans are going to welcome that and with the deep engagement the relationship between US and Iran can definitely improve but if Trump wins the re-election then unfortunately I don’t see any happening and the relationship will become even more challenging.
“Trump has made his harsh policies on Iran in his election key points and if he wins the re-election I think there will be greater problems between Iran and the US,” he said.
**US sanctions a wrong policy
Fahd Husain said the US unilateral sanctions on Iran are not a good step, I think Pakistan has been very clear and when I myself as a journalist look at this situation arising out of those I think the sole principle of one country deciding to impose sanctions on another country, the principle is wrong, it shouldn’t be like that.
“So as a principle I think it is wrong and I believe that lot of governments including Pakistan have opposed those sanctions,” he said.
He added if sanctions are lifted from Iran it will rise to its full potential, which will not only bring benefits for Iran but for Pakistan also, a key stakeholder in Iran’s prosperity.
He went on to say with the presence of China and Russia is a greater and continuing pressure to re-engage with Iran and in coming months or years these sanctions would be lifted at some point.
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