Juan Cole reports that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khameini has responded to Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA and Pompeo’s Plan B 12 demands with 6 demands for Europe: 1) condemn the US withdrawal, 2) stop pressing Iran on missile development, 3) criticize any further US boycotts, 4) undo damage to Iran economy of boycotts especially to buy any oil not able to be exported because of them, 5) support financing of Iran economy, and 6) respond rapidly to these demands. According to Cole they are not optimistic the European nations will be able to withstand the US sanctions, with the impending withdrawal of France’s Total a harbinger. Macron may be key.
If demands not met, Iran will return to enriching uranium to 19.75%, enough for medical use and to fuel a nuclear submarine (Iran has none), but not to make a weapon. Oh such fun.
Barkley Rosser
What did anybody think Iran was going to do. Pompeo was essentially asking to get a pony unicorn. That will not be happening. Any Iranian move to produce enriched uranium in the 20% range will start the clock ticking for Bolton to push for military strikes. At that level, Iran could produce fissile material at weapons grade in six months, which would signal the breakout Trump claims to fear. This whole episode is just a rehash of the mess Dubya made with North Korea and we’re stuck in an endless “Groundhog Day” loop with them.
Praha,
I completely agree that that this blunder by Trump seriously resembles W. Bush on North Korea. I have posted on this previously on several occasions. Something that disturbs me is how few Americans actually understand what went down with that Korean deal. Even most liberals and Dems buy into the story that it was all about North Korea “breaking the agreement.” I see all kinds of commentators, even supposedly knowledgeable ones on MSNBC repeating this seriously misinformed drivel.
I think the bottom line is that W got away with messing up badly in Korea at least partly because his later messup in Iraq was so much bigger, that everybody focused on that, along with that the unraveling of the Korean agreement happened over a period of time in stages, with the final ones coming through after we were all totally distracted by the war in Iraq.
I can’t help but think that the root problem in both Iran and North Korea’s case is Russian support.
I don’t know how you get around it though. China and Russia are similar, if you give ground, they will take it, if you hold the line, they are large enough to support themselves internally, doctrinaire enough to place any retaliatory measures clearly into the land of foreign suppression and interference, and also capable of enhancing existing global pariah problems even without a lot of money.
There is no way out of this.
Russia and China are popping corn and chilling their beers……
I am not familiar with the physics but I have read there is a technical gulf to cross to go from 20% to weapons grade uranium.
Both Kim and Iran are symptoms of a morally bankrupt, far too heavily armed power, inured to killing during their tantrums. If you are not with the US you are target, therefore get all the weapons you can.
I am surprised the Ayatollah did not demand the UK stop supporting al Nusra elements of al Qaeda in Idlib! And that the French and Germans demand US stop funding Kurds and Jaiysh al Isalm (now hiding in Idlib under UK and Turkish protection).
Sadly, DNC types are lining up with Atlantic Council and the democrats become the war party that 1940’s era republicans complained about. There is no loyal opposition in the hall of the legislative branch.
While India is hopeful Chabahar goes forward, although US seems to be opposed to anyone, like China and India, investing in peaceful development projects.
The moral dimension goes to 100% Khamenei!