Criticism of JCPOA Dismissed

A political analyst defended the nuclear deal negotiated under the watch of President Hassan Rouhani against a barrage of conservative criticism ahead of the Friday presidential vote, in which Rouhani is running for reelection. The agreement was clinched with the six major powers, namely the US, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany, in July 2015 and came into force in early 2016 to grant Iran sanctions relief and curb its nuclear program in return. Rouhani’s conservative contenders claim the pact conceded too much to the West, particularly the US, and has failed to yield the expected dividends.

“If the JCPOA has been fruitless and only to the benefit of the United States, why is the hawkish US president [Donald Trump] seeking to dismantle it?” Sadeq Zibakalam, a professor of political science at Tehran University, was quoted as saying by IRNA on Sunday.

Zibakalam was using the formal title of the accord, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of action, which has turned out to be a key focus of the presidential campaign between the representatives of the conservative camp and moderate Rouhani.

Trump campaigned for the White House on a promise to either scrap or renegotiate the action plan.