Letter from former European officials: US and Iran should revive the JCPOA

 In an open letter, 43 former senior European political officials called on the US and Iranian governments not to miss the opportunity to revive the JCPOA in the critical circumstances of the Ukrainian war and to successfully conclude it.

In a letter published on Tuesday, April 26, on the website of the International Crisis Group, a group of 43 former senior European officials called the JCPOA (the nuclear agreement with Iran) a successful agreement and called for its revival as soon as possible.

"At a time when transatlantic cooperation in response to Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is more vital than ever, it would be a grave mistake for American and European leaders to miss the opportunity to defuse the nuclear crisis in the Middle East," they wrote in an open letter.

The authors of the letter cited the reason why “European governments rejected the Trump administration’s reckless decision to abandon the deal without a suitable alternative and worked hard to keep it alive after the US withdrawal in 2018” as limiting Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and its enrichment level, and delaying the process that could lead to Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Among the signatories of the letter are Joschka Fischer, former German Foreign Minister; Jack Straw, former British Foreign Secretary; Javier Solana, former EU foreign policy chief; Wolfgang Ischinger, former chairman of the Munich Security Conference; Carl Bildt, former Swedish Foreign Minister; and Hans Blix, former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

These people believe that former US President Donald Trump's maximum pressure policy "has resulted in nothing but escalating nuclear tensions, a dangerous regional war, and economic deprivation for the Iranian people."

They have pointed to the consequences of the previous US administration's "strategic mistake" of withdrawing from the JCPOA, which "led to the accumulation of weapons-grade enriched uranium and enabled Iran to obtain it in a short period of time."

This group has therefore recognized the efforts of current US President Joe Biden to return to the JCPOA and the mutual commitments of the United States and Iran to the 2015 agreement as a necessary "course correction."

Two possible scenarios

Former senior European officials have predicted two possible scenarios. Scenario one: “The United States quickly demonstrates decisive leadership and the necessary flexibility to resolve the remaining issues of political (non-nuclear) differences with Tehran.”

Scenario Two: “The two sides enter into an erosive stalemate that could lead to an escalation of nuclear tensions and ultimately to hostile actions and the use of means.” They have emphasized that this scenario is not in the interest of either side.

In their letter, they emphasized that they know that issues such as removing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from the US list of foreign terrorist organizations, which is the last major difference between the two sides, are difficult.

The authors of the letter, emphasizing that "decision-making in this area is solely with policymakers and the US government," added that "Iran's demand can be accepted and counterterrorism solutions can be implemented in other ways."

They also urged Iran not to "expect the nuclear deal to address broader areas of disagreement with the United States."

These former European diplomats have warned both sides that the strategic consequences of the failure of these talks will be “very serious and profound.”

They have considered an agreement entirely possible and have called on Biden and the Iranian leadership to show the necessary flexibility.

Source: DW