As the France, Germany and Britain still endorse the JCPOA, allies including Saudi Arabia and Israel are pessimistic about the EU’s constructive Middle East roles.
By HAMID BAHRAMIIsrael's Prime Minister Netanyahu points to red line he drew on graphic of bomb used to represent Iran's nuclear program, in New York(photo credit: LUCAS JACKSON/REUTERS)
While the COVID-19 pandemic and the tragedy of George Floyd's death grasp all attention, the Iranian mullahs are closer than ever to making nuclear weapons.The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that the regime has blocked inspections of two suspected locations. The IAEA says Iran's enriched uranium stockpile now exceeds the nuclear deal (JCPOA) limit.The Daily Express reported that Iran has enough enriched uranium to produce a nuclear bomb within months.Dr. Olli Heinonen, a former deputy director general of the IAEA, said that the theocracy has not only increased its number of centrifuges, but produced about one ton of low enriched uranium."The fundamentally flawed nuclear agreement not only failed to close off Iran's pathways to a nuclear weapon, it paved the way for a future nuclear-armed Iran. This is certainly a matter of concern to the international community", Heinonen told an online conference organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran.The NCRI brands itself as a parliament in exile seeking to overthrow the ruling regime in Iran.Meanwhile, President Trump still hopes to strengthen his election campaign through making a "big deal" with the mullahs."Don’t wait until after US Election to make the Big deal. I’m going to win. You’ll make a better deal now!" Mr Trump wrote on Twitter after the release of a navy veteran who had been held hostage in Iran.The US administration is involved in exchanging prisoners. Imprisoning British and American nationals in hope of getting a ransom or release of those who violate international sanctions has become a lucrative business for the mullahs.On the other hand, the US gets stuck in battles to extend Iran's arms embargo, which will be lifted in October as a part of the JCPOA.Today, the EU rejects the US attempts to extend the embargo even as the regime in Tehran is in clear violation of all of its JCPOA obligations The Iranian regime is well-known as the biggest sponsor of terrorism as it funds and weaponizes some blacklisted terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas. This raises serious concerns on what would have happened if such a regime has access to advanced weapons.Although the UK still fails to form a robust Middle East policy, the former foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, backed the notion to find a way of extending the arms embargo."Because the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps effectively controls the Iranian regime, I don't have any doubts at all that they are sponsoring terrorism all over the region", Mr Hunt said to a virtual event held by Henry Jackson Society last week.SINCE LAST year, Britain, France and Germany have extended talks with the theocracy for at least two times but now the result is that Iran has a few months to achieve its nuclear ambition.It seems that there are some hands behind the scene to buy time for Iran. The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee was going to discuss the UK's Iran policy but for unknown reasons, it has been delayed.As the France, Germany and Britain still endorse the JCPOA, allies including Saudi Arabia and Israel are pessimistic about the EU’s constructive Middle East roles.However, the EU naively seeks to push the mullahs’ regime to cooperate fully and immediately with the IAEA. It seems that the EU disregards that Iran will cheat again and again even if the IAEA inspectors can access suspicious nuclear sites.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rightfully called to reimpose all the UN sanctions on the mullahs. "In light of these discoveries [recent IAEA report], the international community must join the US and reimpose crippling sanctions on Iran," he said.On the other hand, the US naively seeks to make a deal, the UK pointlessly delays forming a robust Iran policy, Germany and France hope Trump will be defeated in the upcoming election, and the ruling theocracy prepares to become a nuclear power. It would be very nice for Iran apologists that one morning, people wake up and listen to the news of "Iran joining the group of nuclear powers."For domestically loathed totalitarian regimes like Iran, North Korea and China, having nuclear bombs can secure their grip on power. If the West takes action before the mullahs achieve this goal, at least the world will be less dangerous.Pro-Iran characters have manipulated the media with the "No to War" campaign against the argument of blocking Iran's path toward a nuclear bomb.To avoid war, the West needs to replace the changing-behavior approach with a regime-change policy through backing the people of Iran. A majority of members of the US House of Representatives backed a resolution supporting the NCRI to bring about change within Iran.Disregarding this pragmatic solution will eventually result in a nuclear Iran or an unpredictable war.The writer is a former political prisoner from Iran, currently living in Glasgow, Scotland. His analyses have appeared in Herald Scotland, The Hill, Al Arabiya English, The Jerusalem Post, Radio Farda and the Daily Caller. He tweets at @HaBahrami and blogs at muckrack.com/hamid-bahrami
Related TagsNuclear Disarmament
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