TEHRAN – A senior political analyst has said Saudi Arabia believes that a U.S. return to the 2015 nuclear deal will strengthen Iran and will boost Tehran’s influence in the region.

The Persian Gulf’s Arab states led by Saudi Arabia regarded the nuclear deal as an agreement that could reduce Iran’s tensions with the West and that’s why they attempted to destroy the deal, Davoud Hermidas Bavand said in an interview with IRNA published on Monday.

“Although Biden’s intention is not to return to the same nuclear deal which was signed in 2015, but countries such as Saudi Arabia, the (United Arab) Emirates and Israel disagree with any agreement,” Bavand added.

Since Trump assumed office in January 2017, Israel, Saudi Arabia and certain other Arab countries have pushed for a harsher U.S. foreign policy against Iran. They supported Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal – which was clinched under Barack Obama – and cheered the U.S. president for his subsequent sanctions on Tehran that caused more than two hundred billions of dollars in losses.

The nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was reached in Vienna on 14 July 2015 between Iran and six world powers, including the U.S., Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany, and also the European Union. Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA was deplored by all other parties to the deal.

In the meantime, hopes to revitalize the nuclear deal were raised after Biden was elected president. Biden has promised to “change course” and rejoin the accord “as a starting point for follow-on negotiations” if Iran returns to compliance with it.

MH/PA