By Morton A. Klein, ZOA National President
(DECEMBER 29, 2021 / JERUSALEM POST) Throughout much of the past year, the Biden administration attempted and failed to negotiate a return to the fatally flawed 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and appeased Iran by rescinding and failing to enforce sanctions.
Meanwhile, Iran accelerated its longstanding violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and nuclear deal. Its proxies launched rockets and drones against U.S. bases in Iraq. In a “warning” test on December 24, Iran fired 16 advanced ballistic missiles, including missiles capable of reaching Israel, Egypt, U.S. regional bases and parts of Europe – and some that may be made capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is reporting deep concerns about nuclear material at undeclared secret Iranian sites. Iran thwarted IAEA inspectors’ access and verification mechanisms, and is now enriching uranium up to 63% purity, far closer to weapons grade than the 3.67% level allowed under the 2015 deal. Iran now has an estimated stockpile of almost eight times more enriched uranium than allowed under the deal.
The negotiations have been a farce. Iran is insisting that the U.S. guarantee an immediate, permanent lifting of sanctions, while Iran gives up nothing that could interfere with nuclear weapons development. On November 30, 2021, Iran’s top negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, backtracked on all previous six rounds of negotiations. During a November 4th “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” demonstration, celebrating the 42nd anniversary of Iranian Islamists seizing the U.S. Embassy and taking more than 60 U.S. hostages, Iran’s new hard line President Ebrahim Raisi vowed that Iran would “not retreat from the interests of our nation in any way.” Raisi is under sanctions for torturing and hanging thousands of political opponents.
Fixing the 2015 nuclear deal’s fatal flaws has not even been on the negotiating table.
Thus, even in the extremely unlikely event that Iran agrees to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, we would still have strict limits on inspectors’ access to undeclared sites; a prohibition on inspectors entering military sites (where nuclear weaponization is likely to occur); perilously close early sunset dates; provisions enabling Iran’s continuing nuclear enrichment and advanced centrifuge development; side deals allowing Iran to collect its own samples; and a lack of provisions addressing Iran’s terror activities and ballistic missile program.
