The Iranian leader accuses Washington of not respecting the deal and seeks agreement with the EU, Russia and China. But it appears weakened on the internal front. Israel and Arab nations applaud and support the White House decision. Criticism from Turkey, which fears new conflicts. Bolton threatens European companies: stop trading with Tehran.
Tehran (AsiaNews) - " his is a psychological war, we won’t allow Trump to win... I’m happy that the pesky being has left the Barjam." (Barjam is the acronym in Iran for the JCPOA.)". This is what Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, commenting on US President Donald Trump's decision to end the Iranian nuclear agreement (the JCPO), signed in 2015 by his predecessor Barack Obama. Meanwhile, if, on the one hand, European leaders move diplomacy to save the agreement, on the Arab and Israeli front, the White House decision is being welcomed in an attempt to isolate Tehran even more on the Middle East front.
As soon as Trump's speech concluded, Iranian president Rouhani responded, underlining “what Americans announced today was a clear demonstration of what they have been doing for months. Since the nuclear deal, when did they comply? They only left a signature and made some statements, but did nothing that would benefit the people of Iran.”
Rouhani then recalled that Washington's only close ally is Israel, which defines "the same regime that killed our nuclear scientists". " From now on, this is an agreement between Iran and five countries... from now on the P5+1 has lost its 1... we have to wait and see how the others react. If we come to the conclusion that with cooperation with the five countries we can keep what we wanted despite Israeli and American efforts, Barjam can survive.”
However, Rouhani himself seems to be increasingly weakened by the decision of the United States, because it strengthens the position of hawks and conservatives in the country, who have always been critical of the agreement. These include the president of Parliament Ali Larijani who called the American choice "bullying" and added that the US will receive an "adequate" response. The European Union, Russia and China, has concluded the "task" of "saving the agreement" even if the Iranian extremist wing seems to be moving more and more towards a military response that is destined to increase tension.
On the other hand, the historical allies of the US in the region, including Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates applaud Washington’s decision. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the "full support" for Trump, who showed courage to cancel a "disastrous" agreement. "If the pact remained in force - concluded the leader of the only Middle Eastern nation to possess atomic weapons - in a few years it would have allowed Iran to enrich uranium and produce nuclear bombs".
The leaders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) issued a note stating their support for the White House and advocate a Middle East "free from nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction". Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash added that "Iran's rhetoric and its aggressive actions in the region have been the backdrop to an imperfect agreement" and Tehran's "belligerent policies" contradict the diplomatic statements.
Less than an hour after Trump's speech came the official note from Saudi Arabia, which "welcome and support" the choice. The decision in the past to "support the nuclear agreement between Iran and the 5 + 1 countries" continues Riyadh, was based "on the firm belief that everything should be done to avoid the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East and in the world". However, according to the Saudis, Tehran continued with its "destabilizing" activities especially through the "ballistic missile program" launched by Yemen.
The official agency of Bahrain BNA published a statement by the Foreign Ministry, according to which the US decision reflects "the commitment" to counter Iranian policies. An essential effort, according to the Manama leaders, to counteract Tehran's continuous attempts to "spread terrorism in the region, violating open rules and international law".
On the other hand, the reaction of Turkey does not hide the fear of "new conflicts" after Trump's decision is different. According to Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it will provoke "instability and other wars". He also recalls the "total opposition" of Ankara "to every type of nuclear weapon" and that the country will continue to trade with Iran in spite of the threats launched yesterday by the United States.
In one of the most significant passages of his speech, Trump indeed threatened to target any nation continue to trade with the Islamic Republic. And the US Treasury Ministry added that the sanctions will hit all the industries mentioned in the agreement, including the oil sector, that of civil aviation and the attempt by the Teheran government to buy American currency. John Bolton, the new National Security Adviser, considered a "hawk", has launched a threat not too veiled to European companies: stop trading with Teheran within the next six months, otherwise they will end up targeted by the American sanctions. (DS)