International agreements as pressure tools
Western powers cite proliferation to justify restrictions
By Ahmad Bina
Human rights expert
US officials claim that Iran’s nuclear program poses a serious challenge to the interests and security of both Washington and Tel Aviv, as well as to the stability of the Middle East. Under this pretext, the harshest and most unprecedented sanctions in the history of the global economy have been slapped on Iran.
Western powers—particularly the United States—have consistently sought to lean on the Islamic Republic by deploying a variety of tools, including international resolutions, to force Tehran into submission. Over the years, cruel sanctions have been passed against the Iranian government and people, sanctions that clearly clash with the principles of human rights. Washington has mobilized its full political, economic, diplomatic, and military might to bring other countries on board to make Iran bow to its demands—ultimately pursuing its main goal of engineering fundamental change in Iran’s policies and, in the long run, dismantling the country itself.
Through various levers, the US managed to line up its allies and many other nations behind its policy of economic pressure on Iran. Before 2010, Europeans and others were reluctant to follow Washington’s lead, but over time, the US managed to bring them around. By politicizing Iran’s nuclear file and dragging it into the UN Security Council, these countries pushed through several resolutions. Although those measures were briefly suspended following the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), the three European signatories—France, Germany, and Britain—are now working to revive the Security Council sanctions through the “snapback” mechanism.
Before the JCPOA, the Security Council had passed seven resolutions against Iran over its nuclear case, even while Tehran was operating under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) oversight and within the framework of the NPT.
Membership in international treaties and conventions has long been used by Western powers as a strategy to keep targeted countries on a short leash. These powers press reluctant states into signing such documents, even though they themselves often avoid binding commitments. Some sign but later find ways around enforcement, using pretexts and technicalities.
The underlying aim of such treaties is to put countries under pressure when circumstances demand. In the field of nuclear energy, this has become standard practice.
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