Brian Hook: The U.S. Seeks to Establish a Treaty with Iran Regarding Nuclear and Missile Programs

The head of the Iran Action Group stated on Wednesday, September 19, ahead of the UN General Assembly meeting, that the United States is seeking to reach a treaty with Iran that encompasses both nuclear activities and missile programs. Brian Hook, speaking at the Hudson Institute, expressed, "We hope to reach an agreement with Iran, and it is not like the personal agreement between two governments that existed in the past, but we are looking to sign a treaty." For an agreement to become a 'treaty' in the U.S., it must pass through Congress. The U.S. Special Representative emphasized that despite statements from President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about meeting with Iranian leaders, they have shown no interest in negotiations. Hook stated, "The Ayatollah (Khamenei), the President, and the Foreign Minister (of Iran) have all indicated that they have no interest in negotiations." He added, "We respect this reaction even though it does not change our plans. We have a sanctions regime that is in place, and stronger actions are on the way." On July 30, Donald Trump announced that he was ready to meet with Iranian leaders 'without preconditions' to discuss the differences between the two countries. Iranian leaders firmly rejected this proposal, with some officials from the Islamic Republic, such as Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, stating that the U.S. must lift sanctions and return to the JCPOA for negotiations. He had said on August 20 to CNN, "If the Islamic Republic officials reach a new agreement with the Trump administration, what guarantee is there for its survival?" The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic prohibited negotiations with Trump administration officials last month. On May 8, the U.S. withdrew from the agreement between six world powers and Iran regarding Tehran's nuclear program and reinstated the first round of sanctions against the Islamic Republic in mid-August. Opponents of the nuclear agreement with Iran in the U.S. argue that since the Obama administration failed to secure congressional approval for the JCPOA, Trump was able to unilaterally annul the agreement. Brian Hook stated, "They (the Obama administration) did not have votes in the Senate, which is why they went to the UN Security Council. This is not sufficient for our system if it is to be a sustainable and stable matter." He did not provide further details on how the U.S. plans to negotiate with Iran. Donald Trump is set to chair a Security Council meeting next week that will focus on Iran. Washington states that starting from November 4, the second round of sanctions aimed at reducing Iran's oil exports to zero will be implemented. Iranian markets have been highly turbulent in recent months, with prices of many goods, currencies, and gold coins rising sharply, to the extent that the U.S. President referred to it as a 'complete chaos' on September 5. He stated, "Iran is currently in complete chaos. And they are only thinking about saving themselves as a country."