TEHRAN — A political science professor says Donald Trump’s narrow reason for the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal was prompted by his hatred of any achievement by his predecessor Barack Obama.

In an interview with ILNA published on Monday, William Lucas said the wider motive for Trump's high-level advisors, such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, is to step up sanctions and break the Iranian economy.

“They could be seeking a renegotiation of the nuclear deal, with Iran surrendering on key points over its nuclear program, or even pursuing regime change,” Lucas said.

Asked if the U.S. government would eventually be able to renew a UN arms embargo on Iran, he said, “The effort to extend the UN arms embargo, which is linked to the JCPOA if not part of it, is to maintain diplomatic pressure on Iran.”

The professor confirmed that “it is also part of a contest between Washington and Tehran in the region,” adding that it is unlikely that the U.S. can push through the arms embargo. 

He said the Europeans will look for a compromise, and Russia and China could block any Security Council action.

Washington has stepped up calls for the extension of a UN arms embargo on Iran, which will expire in October under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened that it may seek to trigger a "snapback" of all sanctions on Iran if its attempts to extend the arms embargo fall through.

In May 2018, President Trump unilaterally pulled his country out of the JCPOA, unleashing the “toughest ever” sanctions against Iran.

While the U.S. is no longer a party to the 2015 deal, it has launched a campaign to renew the arms ban through a resolution at the UN Security Council.

The Security Council is scheduled to discuss the measure on June 30, but Russia and China are most likely to veto it.

MH/PA