Diplomacy; pathway for US-Iran engagement
By Ebrahim
Beheshti
Journalist
Recent remarks by US President Donald Trump about Iran’s nuclear program have left many hardline anti-Iran factions feeling disheartened. These hardliners had anticipated a much tougher approach from Trump toward Tehran, even expecting it to be one of his first executive orders upon taking office.
However, Trump has been treading carefully when fielding reporters’ questions on Iran, going as far as clearly stating that the situation with Iran is different. He has also expressed hope that the scenario of the US backing an Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities will not come to pass and that Iran will opt for a deal.
It appears Trump has acknowledged that Iran is indeed a different case. Tehran already demonstrated its good faith in the nuclear saga by signing the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). Even after the US administration’s withdrawal from the deal, Iran remained committed to its obligations for an extended period. It was only when the Europeans failed to safeguard Iran’s interests under the agreement that Tehran started to scale back its commitments. Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed over the years that they will fall back in line with the nuclear deal once the other parties fulfill their end of the bargain and Iran reaps the promised benefits.
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