The head of the Iranian parliament’s influential National Security and Foreign Policy Commission rejected any notion of renegotiating the nuclear deal agreed to by Iran and the five countries on the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) just two years ago, ending a decadelong dispute. As a result of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, nuclear-related sanctions against Iran were lifted (non-nuclear sanctions remain), and Iran agreed to curtail its nuclear program. Eager to undo President Barack Obama’s legacy, current President Donald Trump has tasked his advisers with finding a way to scrap the deal. Iran is not taking the bait.
“Iran will under no conditions undertake negotiations again about the nuclear deal,” said Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, on July 23. Boroujerdi added, “None of the other countries that negotiated the nuclear deal with Iran have accepted America’s recommendation to negotiate again.” He called Trump’s desire to renegotiate another “example of America cheating, which can be viewed as an illogical action.”