It’s shameful that Pompeo talks about JCPOA provisions

By M.A. Saki

TEHRAN – Speaking at a United Nations Security Council Session on Middle East Peace and Security on August 20, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington is concerned about the approaching end of some of the UN arms embargo and other sanctions against Iran based on the JCPOA.

“We are already tracking very closely the JCPOA provisions expiring in October of 2020, namely the UN arms embargo,” Pompeo said in part of his speech.

It is extremely ridiculous that Pompeo is talking about the provisions of the JCPOA, the same landmark international nuclear agreement endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, but revoked by his master Donald Trump.
 
Pompeo, Trump and other hawks have harshly denounced the JCPOA but the fact of the matter is that they seem to be worried that some of its provisions are coming to an end. 

Since Trump has blown up the JCPOA, his secretary of state is not in a position to talk about the JCPOA and its provisions. It is pure hypocrisy.

If the JCPOA, according to the Trump is “horrible”, “flawed”, “decaying” and “defective at its core”, then in their view its provisions must also be obsolete. 

While the entire world, except Israel’s Netanyahu, was urging the U.S. to remain committed to the JCPOA, the Trump administration bullyingly abandoned it and illegally imposed the harshest ever sanctions on Iran, a move which has been rightly called “economic terrorism”.

In May 2018, when Trump officially abandoned the JCPOA, Pompeo said the U.S. will impose “the strongest sanctions in history” on Iran. Also in November 2018, John Bolton, the White House national security advisor, said, “It’s our intention to squeeze them (Iranians) very hard… until the pips squeak.”

In view of such bitter facts and remarks, the Trump administration’s officials are not morally in a position to talk about the JCPOA provisions.

In the same remarks at the UN on August 20, Pompeo said, “Iran continues to threaten further expansions of its nuclear program in defiance of its international commitments.”

It is comical that Pompeo uses the term “international commitments” with regard to the JCPOA. 

It is true that Iran made commitments to put limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for termination of economic and financial sanctions. But did the U.S. stick to its obligation? The U.S. has even threatened to punish any country or company that enters economic dealings with Tehran. It has also introduced a total ban on Iran’s oil exports. It is trying to strangulate Iran.

Iran has taken steps to reduce its commitments, not abandoning it, after waiting for a year. It has also unequivocally announced that it will reverse its decision immediately after the remaining members to the JCPOA protect it from the impacts of sanctions.  
 
In the viewpoint of Pompeo, Iran must remain committed to its obligations but the United States is an exemption.

Pompeo is making himself a laughing stock by talking about the provisions of the JCPOA and commitments that Iran needs to observe. Moreover, he is showing contempt to the wisdom of the world by such ridiculous and shameful remarks.