Even while insisting they do not want a war, leaders of Iran and the US have again ratcheted up international tension. The EU is scrambling to salvage the landmark 2015 deal that froze Iran's nuclear weapons program.
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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that the United States should drop sanctions against Iran and return to a 2015 nuclear deal to de-escalate soaring tensions between the two countries.
"The return to the nuclear deal would be the shortest way to secure the interests of all sides ... and also good for the world, the region and especially the international [nuclear] non-proliferation treaty," he said.
Since then, the US has imposed more sanctions to try to force unconditional talks on a more stringent agreement.
"We can only tell the Americans that your way was a mistake," Rouhani said.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei struck a less conciliatory tone. "The Iranian people will never bow to the most hated and malevolent government in the world," he said, according to his website.
The statements came days after the US President Donald Trump dropped plans to bomb Iran in response to its downing of a US drone. Trump instead signed another round of sanctions.
That incident followed attacks on several oil tankers in the Persian Gulf that Trump blamed on the Iranian military.
On Wednesday, the European Union's UN ambassador urged Iran and the US to salvage the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Iran nuclear deal — treaty under threat
A year after Donald Trump pulled the US from the international nuclear accord with Iran, the Middle East nation announced it would no longer adhere to some "voluntary commitments" in the accord.
Image: picture-alliance/epa/D. Calma
The deal breaker
President Donald Trump announced on May 8, 2018 that he was pulling the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, arguing that the international accord was not in America's "national interest." The decision threw a cloud of uncertainty over the future of the nuclear accord and raised tensions with US allies in Europe.
Image: Reuters/J. Ernst
Slap in the face
Britain, France and Germany lobbied the Trump administration and Congress to remain in the nuclear accord, arguing that the deal was working and a US violation without a follow up plan would be destabilizing. In European capitals, the Trump administration's withdrawal was viewed as a slap in the face of allies.
Image: Reuters/K. Lamarque
Iran scrap 'voluntary commitments'
A year to the day after Trump's announcement, Iran informed the other signatories of the accord that they would no longer adhere to certain "voluntary commitments." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the signatory nations had 60 days to implement promises to protect Iran's oil and banking sectors or Iran would resume the enrichment of uranium.
The decision came after the United States deployed an aircraft, the USS Lincoln, along with a bomber task force to the Middle East. Washington said the deployment was intended as a "clear unmistakable message." Iran said it took action because the European Union and others "did not have the power to resist US pressure."
Image: AP
A triumph of diplomacy
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran nuclear deal, was signed in 2015 by United States, China, Russia, France, Germany and Britain (P5+1) and Iran following years of negotiations. Under the international agreement, Iran agreed to dismantle its nuclear program and be subject to monitoring in exchange for the lifting of international nuclear related sanctions.
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Compliance and verification
The JCPOA includes a robust monitoring, verification and inspection regime carried out by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The UN watch dog has verified Iran's compliance with the deal in 12 quarterly reports. The JCPOA allows Iran to pursue a peaceful nuclear program for commercial, medical and industrial purposes in line with international non-proliferation standards.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Schlager
Obama's achievement
The Iran nuclear deal was President Barack Obama's signature foreign policy achievement. Seeking to undo nearly every Obama administration legacy, Trump came into office calling it the "worst deal ever." The Trump administration argues the nuclear deal doesn't address other unrelated issues such as Iran's ballistic missiles, regional influence, support for "terrorist" groups and human rights.
Image: Reuters/Y. Gripas
Iranians approved
The nuclear deal and lifting of punishing nuclear related international sanctions created optimism in Iran after years of economic isolation. However, even before Trump pulled the US out of the deal, Tehran blamed the US for holding back international investment and not fulfilling its end of the bargain due to the uncertainty created by Trump's threats.
Image: picture alliance/AA/F. Bahrami
The opponents
After eight years with Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found the US president he wanted in Donald Trump. The Israeli leader repeatedly slammed the deal despite his own military and intelligence chiefs' assessment the that JCPOA, while not perfect, was working and should be maintained. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the other main opponents of the nuclear deal.
Image: Reuters/R. Zvulun
Who's left?
The EU-3 (Britain, France, Germany) have scrambled to ensure that Iran receives the economic benefits it was promised in order to avoid Tehran pulling out of the deal. As EU businesses face retaliation from the US for doing business with Iran, many are opting to avoid Iran. This would likely be a present to Chinese and Russian businesses.
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"The JCPOA ... has been working and delivering on its goals," Joao Vale de Almeida told the UN Security Council. "There is also no credible, peaceful alternative."
French UN Ambassador Francois Delattre told the body that the accord's demise "brings with it uncertainty and potentially grave consequences for the region, for the nonproliferation regime and for our collective security."
"Tehran must refrain from any measure that would place Iran in breach of its commitments," he said.
Iran's UN ambassador, Majid Takht Ravanchi, said the US withdrawal from the deal and reimposition of sanctions had "rendered the JCPOA almost fully ineffective."
"Iran alone cannot, shall not and will not take all of the burdens any more to preserve the JCPOA," he added.
Iranian non-compliance imminent
Iran announced in March that it would partially withdraw from the deal. On Wednesday, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said the country could potentially exceed one of the deal's enrichment limits on Thursday.
"The deadline of the Atomic Energy Organization for passing the production of enriched uranium from the 300-kilogram limit will end tomorrow," the IRIB news agency quoted spokesman Behrouz Kamalvindi as saying.
The country had exported excess uranium to keep its stockpile within limits. Recent US sanctions blocked all further sales abroad.
The Atomic Energy Organization previously said it could breach another limit on the enrichment of uranium after July 7 if no new agreement is in place.
Iran war 'wouldn't last very long'
Trump told US broadcaster Fox News on Wednesday that he thought Iran's leadership was not "smart."
"Look what's happened to Iran. Iran is going down the tubes. Their people can't eat. They are rioting all over their streets," he said.
Asked if a war with the country was imminent, the president said: "I'm not talking boots on the ground. I'm just saying if something would happen, it wouldn't last very long."
