TEHRAN(Bazaar) –Shireen Tahmaasb Hunter, a professor of political science at Georgetown University, tells the Bazaar “IAEA cannot act without the approval of the Western states, especially the US.”
She says: “If the decision is reached to revive the JCPOA, these issues could be resolved. If not, Iran's problems with the IAEA will also remain.”
Following is the text of the interview:
Bazaar: The Vienna talks now require political decisions by Iran and the United States. What do you think is the main issue left?
Hunter: It is always the most difficult issues that remain unresolved till the end of any negotiations. It seems to me that the unresolved issues now are the same as they were a few weeks ago, including Iran's demands for guarantees and the US refusal to grant them. Recently, the issues related to Iran's alleged past nuclear activities in certain sites have again acquired importance. And there is the question of the IRGC's removal form the terrorist list and supposedly lifting of sanctions against it.
Bazaar: It is said that the removal of the IRGC from the U.S. terrorist list is the most important issue left in the negotiations. Robert Malley, the Special Envoy for Iran has stated that the IRGC will remain under sanctions even if it is removed from the US terrorist list. Despite this, what is the reason for America's stubbornness in this regard?
Hunter: The significance of the IRGC for the US and, even more importantly for its regional allies, is that it is the military arm of Iran's regional policies. In the course of at least the past twenty years, the IRGC has also confronted the US forces in the region, including in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. In particular, many regional states, especially Israel, are very sensitive to the activities of the IRGC's Quds force. Meanwhile, in Iran the IRGC is perhaps the most influential organization in the country and hence its removal from the terrorist list is important for Iran.
Bazaar: U.S. Congressmen are seeking to pass legislation that would require congressional approval by the US government to remove the IRGC from the terrorist list. If this happens, what is the Biden government's strategy for it?
Hunter: The Congress' demand is a thinly veiled attempt to prevent the revival of the JCPOA.
Bazaar: In an interview with his Hungarian counterpart, the Iranian Foreign Minister stated that significant progress had been made in the negotiations, but that some important issues remained between Iran and the United States. What is your assessment of his words?
Hunter: It has been evident for some time what the remaining issues are. They are the same as referred to above.
Bazaar: Mohammad Eslami, President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, has announced that Iran has sent documents to the International Atomic Energy Agency on March 20, 2022, and they have reviewed them, and IAEA representatives will probably come to Iran to review the materials and review the answers and summarize. Do you think that the dispute between Iran and the IAEA over issues related to Netanyahu's documents will be resolved independently or it will be tied to the result of the JCPOA?
Hunter: The problem in this regard is that the West and the IAEA do not trust Iran. Moreover, the IAEA cannot act without the approval of the Western states, especially the US. Thus, if the decision is reached to revive the JCPOA, these issues could be resolved. If not, Iran's problems with the IAEA will also remain.
As I have said many times over the years the resolution of the nuclear dispute and Iran's return to normal economic relations with the world will not be possible without resolving other differences with the West. In other words, Iran cannot compartmentalize its policies by trying to resolve the nuclear use without at least discussing other differences. Iran's problems both domestic and foreign are structural and cannot be solved without fundamental reassessment of basic aspects of its ideology and worldview.
نظر شما