In First, Iran Ready To Accept Changes To Nuclear Deal If Sanctions Lifted

Iran has again signaled its readiness to come back to the table, even if it means potentially pursuing the new ‘Trump deal’ — after the president unilaterally withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018. It’s possibly the most the Iranians have been willing to compromise yet, considering previous statements have emphasized a full return of all parties to the original JCPOA. 

“If the sanctions are ended and there is a return to the (nuclear) accord, there is room for giving reassurances toward breaking the deadlock and the President (Hassan Rouhani) has even a proposal for small changes in the accord,” an Iranian government spokesman, Ali Rabiei, said on state TV Tuesday.

This also comes after the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged Iran as well as his European allies to back a new “Trump deal” this week in what was also a change in course for Britain. “If it was a bad deal — and I’m willing to accept that, it had many, many defects — then let’s do a better deal,” the prime minister told NBC News. 

Previously Trump has said he wants to start over, calling the Obama-brokered 2015 deal a failure:

“This deal if I win will be a totally different deal. This will be a totally different deal.”

However, based on the latest tweets by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, it doesn’t look like Washington is ready to give up sanctions, a tall order for this administration or sanctions addicted Washington in general.

Iran remains the greatest threat to peace & security – that has not changed. We must work together, using all the tools at our disposal, to bring stability and prosperity to the Middle East & deny Iran the resources needed to engage in malign behavior around the world.

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) September 25, 2019

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In a follow-up tweet he stated that Iran must not be allowed to continue its destructive behavior and suggested for the sake of the Iranian people and the world, the UN Security Council has a vital role to play in ensuring the UN arms embargo on the world’s top sponsor of terrorism.

But again it’s the first time the Iranians have proposed willingness for “small changes in the accord” — which means they could be ready for something new, potentially leaving the JCPOA behind, as Trump has demanded all along. 

Washington’s blind commitment and addiction to sanctions though, will likely remain the insurmountable obstacle to any breakthrough leading to new talks.