The repercussions of the US departure from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal will go beyond the nuclear issue, says a former diplomat.
President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the international agreement will undermine the mechanisms devised to ensure nuclear non-proliferation because he has challenged one of the greatest achievements accomplished within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Seyed Hossein Mousavian said in a speech at a recent event in Vermont, the United States. The UN atomic watchdog policing the deal has repeatedly said Iran is continuing to implement its nuclear commitments, the former spokesperson of Iran's nuclear dossier said, ISNA reported on Monday.
Robust Verification
After the US withdrawal in early May, the International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano said in a statement that Iran is subject to the world's most robust nuclear verification regime under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the deal's formal name, according to Reuters.
Tehran has repeatedly stated that its nuclear activities are peaceful.
This is while the US has turned a blind eye to Israel's dangerous nuclear arsenal and its refusal to join the NPT, Mousavian was quoted as saying.
Regional Peace
He said Trump's move could endanger peace and security in the already volatile Middle East and that he risked steering his country down a dangerous path in the region.
“The dispute over Iran's nuclear program was the only matter in the Middle East that could be settled through diplomatic channels with the participation of all world powers”, he said, adding that such a model can help resolve other crises in the strategic region.
Mousavian, who is a Middle East security and nuclear policy specialist at Princeton University, is of the opinion that long-term regional peace, security and stability cannot be achieved without Iran.
The Islamic Republic is a regional power and will not allow the US to ignore its status, the expert said.
US Ties
The former official noted that Trump's antagonism and hostile policy has diminished the prospects of improved relations between Tehran and Washington and possible cooperation on regional issues.
Iranians resent US interference in Iran since the 1953 US-led coup that overthrew the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq, Mousavian recalled, adding that the latest developments and White House moves only reaffirm the view that Washington is not trustworthy.
