Some Iranians say nuclear deal can survive if Europe cooperates
Some Iranian officials and analysts say that Tehran should remain in the nuclear deal with the European Union if Europe stands up to US pressure to end the agreement.
US President Donald Trump tweeted May 7 that he will state his decision about the fate of nuclear deal with Iran today, May 8 — four days before the May 12 deadline to sign sanctions waivers as part of the accord. In apparent response, Iranian officials have stated that they will remain within the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if Europe cooperates with Tehran.
Predicting the US president’s decision, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council stated that Trump may not destroy the deal in order to let the Europeans negotiate more concessions from Iran.
Ali Shamkhani told Hamshahri newspaper May 8, “Trump and the US administration pursue three parallel strategies regarding the JCPOA. One minimalist strategy is … making the JCPOA useless for Iran. The second strategy is to get more concessions from the Islamic Republic of Iran through the JCPOA. And the third strategy is destroying the JCPOA.”
Shamkhani added, “The bigger mistake of the Europeans would be to go along with Trump’s second strategy. … There is the possibility that Trump relies on [European] cooperation, and stays away from the third strategy.”
