Signaling a major buzz topic in Washington
these days, with the international community waiting anxiously, the new US
administration is on the verge of implementing a significant Iran policy
overhaul.
America nearly lost all of its influence in the Middle East
as a result of a devastating engagement policy captained by the Obama-Kerry
team, all in a desperate effort to obtain Tehran’s consent in completing the
2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA).
The impact of the support by the Obama Administration of the
Arab Spring did the rest, as main Arab allies came under immense pressure.
Considering
Obama’s yearning to seal the JCPOA as the foreign policy hallmark of his
legacy, he was seen succumbing to literally any and all demands made by the
Iranians. Tehran understood and used this leverage to issue threats of walking
away from the deal.
While President Trump has not torn up the deal as candidate Trump pledged, his
administration has taken the lead to strongly criticize Iran’s current behavior
in the Middle East that poses a major threat to America’s strategic position
and the security of regional allies.
The Trump administration, unlike its fledgling predecessor, is weighing on how
to bring Iran’s mischievous behavior under control and have it completely
halted.
Selling a false deal
The
pro-JCPOA camp sold the deal to the international community by claiming Iran’s
mullahs’ would become more moderate and begin acting reasonably.
Let’s review the facts on the ground:
- The Middle East is in carnage, withIran’s Revolutionary Guardsand proxies launching deadly killings
inSyriain
support of Assad, massacring Sunnis and other minorities in Iraq, supporting
Houthi militants inYemen, and the Lebanese Hezbollah, just to
name a few.
- Tehran is continuing its ballistic missile program full speed ahead,
preparing to couple the project with an ongoing secret nuclear weapons drive,
as exposed recently by the Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance of
Iran (NCRI).
- Military confrontations between US-Arab allies and Iranian forces continue,
as shown in the Gulf and the Bab Al Mandab.
We were reminded recently by US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley ,when she
referred to existing Security Council resolutions banning Iran from importing
or exporting arms, and end all ballistic missile testing.
Haley clearly indicated Trump will not allow such measures slide, as we
witnessed far too often under the Obama watch.
“The United States will work closely with our partners to document and address
any actions that violate these resolutions,” Haley said. “We must take a stand
against Iran and Hezbollah’s illegal and dangerous behavior.”
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also raised eyebrows in remarks unseen from
America’s top diplomat for many years. Iran continues to enjoy the top ranking
of the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. The nature of
sanctions being vital to the national and security interests of America, and
its regional allies in particular, will be a major topic of a new JCPOA
review.
Fresh sanctions
Meanwhile,
a new bill seeking to slap fresh sanctions against Tehran for continuing its
illicit missile program is in the preparation process in the House of
Representatives.
Sanctions and economic pressures are a major leverage the US enjoys against
Tehran. Blocking access to the global banking system and compelling companies
and various institutions to choose between America’s $19 trillion economy and
Iran’s half a trillion should not make the decision any harder.
Irony lies in the fact that Obama initially boosted US sanctions against Iran,
only to ignore Iran’s highly belligerent proliferation activities and support
for terrorism.
Arecent Politico report highlightedhow the Obama administration even released
Iranian arms dealers apprehended by US authorities and dropped international
arrest warrants seeking others. To this end, Obama literally risked US national
security for the sake of appeasing Tehran’s mullahs.
The Trump administration is set to draw a major line in the sand. Beefing up
sanctions could be a major policy change adopted by the new White House. To
take steps further, Washington should seriously consider designating the
mullahs’ Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist organization for its role
in Iran’s meddling and supporting terrorism,extremism and Islamic fundamentalismacross the Middle East, Tehran’s
ongoing military development programs -especially the ballistic missile drives
- and horrific human rights violations across the country.
Missed opportunity
In 2009
Obama missed the opportunity to support the Iranian people’s cry for freedom
and democracy, and now the new US administration cannot stand again on the
sidelines. Supporting the Iranian people and their organized opposition,
currently openly represented by liberal movements such as the NCRI, seeking a
democratic, secular and non-nuclear Iran, living in harmony with its regional
neighbors and returning to the international community as a responsible member,
could be a starting point.
If Washington would be able to address these options in full, not falling into
the trap of removing the Iranian regime under the umbrella of “bringing
democracy”, but supporting a growing liberal democratic opposition, a better
future for Iran is possible. This will take time, during which economic and
political pressure should be increased on the regime. Appeasing the mullahs
will not reap any positive rewards, Tehran will not see any need to change at
all.
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