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Republican Senate should thwart America’s return to the JCPOA
As former Vice President Joe Biden begins his transition to the White House before the January inauguration day, he appears determined to begin his four-year legacy by reviewing substantial decisions made by his predecessor, President Donald Trump.
On May 8, 2018, Trump announced one of the most important decisions of his presidency: to end the United States’ participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran and to reimpose the sanctions that had been lifted in under the 2015 agreement, which was reached during former President Barack Obama’s time in office.
When you Google “Obama and the JCPOA,” the first result that comes up is a link to the Obama White House file with the title “The landmark deal that will prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.” In fact, the agreement was historic and important to its main beneficiary, the clerical regime in Tehran.
The JCPOA, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, furthered Iran’s ambitions to dominate the region and led to the removal of the name of Qassem Soleimani, then commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, from the UN sanctions list.
Under the agreement, Tehran obtained the resources to rebuild its arsenal, sponsor terrorism, and carry out attacks against the United States and its allies through delegated militias in the region. Additionally, the Obama administration sent $ 1.7 billion in cash to Iran in exchange for four US citizens who were being held hostage by the regime.
The agreement did not stop the Iranian ballistic missile program and did not prevent the rockets from targeting US troops in Iraq or landing on Israel.
He may or may not agree with Trump’s foreign policy, but the president’s decision to withdraw from the infamous agreement was courageous and necessary for the national security of the United States, as well as for the protection of its allies in the Middle East.
When Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, progressive Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison voiced their outrage and disapproval of this move, it meant that Trump’s decision was a victory for the US. regime.
Trump’s decision to withdraw from the infamous agreement was courageous and necessary for the national security of the United States.
Dalia Al-Aqidi
Biden’s introduction of his first list of elections for key cabinet positions sends a clear signal that the United States is preparing for a third term of Obama’s foreign policy. Several of them have been associated with Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton or Biden himself. Names like Antony Blinken for secretary of state, Alejandro Mayorkas for secretary of national security, and Jake Sullivan for national security adviser remind us of failed policies regarding Iran, Iraq, Daesh, Libya and China.
During his campaign for the presidential election, Biden continued to criticize his predecessor’s policy on Iran, implying that his administration would favor a return to the JCPOA, which is what Democrats would like him to do.
Technically, it is not up to the Biden administration whether to return to the negotiating table without the Iranian side’s bow. However, the former vice president wrote in September that he would offer Tehran a credible path back to diplomacy. “If Iran strictly complies with the nuclear agreement again, the United States would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-up negotiations,” he stressed.
The good news is that Iran will hold its own presidential elections in June 2021, ending the second term of President Hassan Rouhani, limiting the time available for the two leaders to make significant progress. With that in mind, it will most likely be more difficult to negotiate with the new government of Iran.
Republicans must never forget that, while Democrats celebrated the death of Osama bin Laden, they strongly condemned the assassination of Soleimani. However, the latter was also a ruthless terrorist responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans and Israelis, in addition to his victims in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.
Republicans must understand that Iran would not accept new negotiations without compensation for its financial losses due to the sanctions implemented by the Trump administration. Republicans should also keep a close eye on Iran’s illicit missile program and its terrorist tendencies.
A powerful Iran would be a clear and present danger to Israel and the Gulf states, and a major obstacle in the way of any future peace agreement between Israel and any other Arab country.
Maintaining economic sanctions would weaken the iron fist of the ruling clerics and allow the Iranian people to rebel against this vicious totalitarian regime.
A Republican-majority Senate would play a vital role in limiting Tehran’s influence, protecting the interests of America’s main allies in the region, and, most importantly, maintaining the country’s national security.
- Dalia Al-Aqidi is a senior researcher at the Center for Security Policy. She is a former Republican Congressional candidate. Twitter: @DaliaAlAqidi
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect the point of view of Arab News
