Boroujerdi: Americans intend to adopt harsher policies against Iran

The head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament reacted to the appointment of John Bolton as National Security Advisor to Donald Trump, the President of the United States, by proposing on Saturday, April 4, to "strengthen" relations with China and Russia. According to Aladdin Boroujerdi, "the direction of our [government] policymaking is in this direction." Donald Trump announced on April 2 that he had chosen John Bolton as the successor to Herbert McMaster as National Security Advisor. Mr. Bolton, who briefly served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during George W. Bush's administration, is best known for his hawkish positions regarding the Islamic Republic and North Korea. He previously stated in an interview that the U.S. government should support efforts for "regime change" in Iran, as he believes this approach is the "only long-term solution" to counter the threats posed by the Tehran government in the Middle East. John Bolton stated, "The Ayatollah regime is the main threat to global peace and security in the Middle East. Overthrowing this regime will undoubtedly restore peace and satisfaction to the region and simultaneously eliminate the most significant threat in the area." In this context, Reuters reports that some experts and analysts say Mr. Bolton's positions are "another nail in the coffin" of the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement signed during Barack Obama's presidency. Since his election campaign, Trump has repeatedly attacked the JCPOA, describing it as a "very bad" agreement at best, and is now on the verge of withdrawing from it. In response to Bolton's appointment and his stance toward the Islamic Republic, Aladdin Boroujerdi suggested in an interview with the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) to bring Tehran closer to Beijing and Moscow. However, as stated in this interview, the "strengthening" of Iran's relations with Russia and China has gone beyond the stage of proposal: According to Mr. Boroujerdi, "As far as I know, the direction of our policymaking is in this direction." The head of the National Security Commission stated, "The Americans intend to adopt harsher policies toward the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we must strengthen our gaze to the East, especially towards China and Russia." He continued: "China and Russia are two important and influential permanent members of the Security Council, and strengthening these connections will help mitigate and diminish the pressures from America." The Islamic Republic, which has had significant relations with the United States for years, has particularly grown closer to China and especially Russia in recent years. Tehran has become very close to Moscow, especially in Syria, playing a major role as one of the largest supporters of Bashar al-Assad's government, to the extent that many analysts believe Tehran and Moscow saved Assad from falling. On another front, Russia vetoed a proposed British resolution last Esfand regarding the extension of the arms embargo on Yemen, which expressed concern over Iran's violations of these sanctions, and officially and practically supported Iran. On the other hand, regarding China, Iran has also become a market for cheap Chinese goods like other countries, and Beijing and Tehran have economically come closer in recent years. However, in response to recent developments in the U.S. government, the first vice president of Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, also briefly referred to U.S. pressure on Iran in a speech on Saturday, describing the United States' "political games" as "a foolish practice," according to Fars News Agency. Eshaq Jahangiri, Rouhani's deputy, stated in this speech: "America will show in Ordibehesht whether they are trustworthy or not." Donald Trump threatened on January 22 that if the "disastrous flaws" in the nuclear agreement with Iran are not resolved, he will not extend the suspension of nuclear sanctions under this agreement. Jahangiri's reference is to this deadline announced by the U.S. President, which ends on May 12, 2018. In this regard, a U.S. State Department official stated: Iran has technically adhered to the nuclear agreement. Trump: John Bolton becomes the National Security Advisor of the White House. Israel welcomes the appointment of John Bolton as the National Security Advisor of the U.S. The Guardian: Europe is seeking to create a protective umbrella for companies trading with Iran.