Ambiguity of the JCPOA on the Anniversary of the US Exit from the Agreement; Jalili: Repeating the JCPOA Means Repeating a Bitter Experience

On the anniversary of Donald Trump's exit from the JCPOA and the uncertainty surrounding the revival of this agreement over the past two years, several media outlets and political activists have revisited this issue. The newspaper 'Jomhouri Eslami' wrote: 'Everyone knows the significant damages the country has suffered from disruptive elements who benefit from the continuation of sanctions, and the hardships the people have faced in terms of livelihood. This bitter reality is acknowledged by the officials, yet they are unwilling to entrust the matter to capable individuals to conclude the nuclear issue while fully protecting national interests.' This newspaper criticized the prolonged status of the nuclear file and the ambiguity of the JCPOA, adding: 'After Trump's defeat in the US presidential elections and the coming to power of the Democrats, a good opportunity arose for reviving the JCPOA and closing the sanctions file, but the sanctions profiteers hindered reaching an agreement in this regard and have continued to create disruptions until today.' Concurrently, Saeed Jalili, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council and former head of Iran's nuclear negotiations, stated: 'Some individuals emphasized the JCPOA at one time and pursued it but did not achieve results; now, if others propose the same solution, it means repeating a bitter experience.' The newspaper 'Kayhan' also claimed: 'The US, which is currently much weaker than its past and is in decline, is more in need of negotiations with Iran than ever, observing the Islamic Republic's increasing progress in various fields and its expanding influence and power in the region and the world.' Majid Tafreshi, a historian and researcher, pointed out the remarks of conservatives on the anniversary of the US exit from the JCPOA, stating: 'The same carcass of the JCPOA is now the wish of the new government.' Former President Hassan Rouhani also mentioned in a periodic meeting with his ministers and deputies on May 6: 'I had hoped that the JCPOA issue would be resolved in March 2021 or April 2021, so that the incoming government would not face this major problem. Everything was ready for the revival of the JCPOA. We even managed to obtain concessions from the negotiating parties regarding the removal of the IRGC from the list of terrorist groups and the lifting of sanctions on the leadership office and related institutions, which made the Leader very happy when I reported it to him. Unfortunately, this opportunity was not realized.' Meanwhile, dozens of former senior US diplomats recently wrote a letter to Joe Biden, urging him to halt all diplomatic efforts with Iran. The letter states that Biden's current strategy of reducing sanctions in exchange for good behavior from the Islamic Republic of Iran is dangerous. These diplomats argue that this policy is risky as it becomes dependent on 'the preferences of the Islamic Republic of Iran.' The signatories of the letter to Biden state that maximum pressure is 'the only effective policy to protect the people of the US, the people of Iran, and others in the region and the world from the threats of the Islamic Republic.' Joe Biden, who declared 'reviving the JCPOA' as one of his goals during the election campaign, attempted to fulfill his promise upon entering the White House. However, negotiations for reviving the JCPOA were suspended after two years of continuation in late summer 2022 due to what was termed 'excessive demands' and 'extraneous requests' from Iranian officials, and following the escalation of protests in Iran in autumn 2022, it was completely removed from the agenda of the US government. Under what circumstances is there a possibility of a military attack by the US and Israel on Iran's nuclear facilities? Ali Vaez: The suppression of the 'Mahsa Movement' and Iran's assistance to Russia have led the West to close the door to negotiations with Tehran. Gita Aryan: The Biden administration has always emphasized that it will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb. Special program: The fate of the JCPOA; continuation of diplomacy, trigger mechanism, or military action? Dozens of diplomats urged Biden to end diplomacy with Iran. Reuters analytical report: The Iranian nuclear crisis is at risk of 'reignition.' The White House National Security Advisor: Iran does not have a nuclear weapon today and cannot have one. The Islamic Republic has begun operations at a 'yellowcake production' facility.