By Saeed Sobhani

U.S. Congress follows Trump 

October 30, 2017 - 15:24

TEHRAN _ As the President of the United States gave his speech, two senior Republican representatives unveiled a plan according to which the restoration of sanctions against Iran in case of a violation of the nuclear deal was demanded.

 According to Associated Press, the "Cotton-Corker" plan does not necessarily violate the nuclear deal, but could end the deal by binding Iran to a new condition not agreed upon by our country.

The fact is, unlike what Associated Press and other media affiliated with the U.S. ruling circle try to convey, the application of any of the provisions of the Cotton-Corker plan is considered to be an objective violation of the nuclear deal with Iran. In the Cotton-Corker plan, the mechanism for the recurrence of sanctions against Iran has been speeded up and intensified. The draft of the U.S. senators' plan has expanded the criteria that could lead to the resumption of sanctions against Iran. 

The proposed amendment would restore “sanctions if Iran tests a ballistic missile able to carry a warhead or bars nuclear inspectors from any sites.” It also “would instantly re-impose, or ‘snap back’ sanctions lifted under the agreement if Iran were deemed capable of developing a nuclear weapon within a year.”This plan also extends the U.S. administration’s assessment of Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal and adds other issues to be examined, such as trade with Iran or ensuring that Tehran is using US-licensed aircraft for civilian purposes.

As it can be seen, the Cotton-Corker plan, which appears to be supported by many senators, is regarded as an objective breach of the JCPOA. In the content of the JCPOA, the mechanism for the return of sanctions has been defined in a different (far more limited) way. On the other hand, in this plan, there is a direct link between Iran's missile activities and our nuclear activities. It is while in the same year of 2015, and during the last round of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5 + 1 members, basically one of the conditions for accepting the nuclear deal by Iran was "not to put a link" between the JCPOA and the missile power of the Islamic Republic of Iran. But this rule has already been violated in the Cotton-Corker joint plan.

U.S. media line on "Cotton-Corker" plan
Here an overview of the analytical line and media coverage of the American media in relation to the plan proposed by two extremist Republican senators is to be taken into consideration. In these news, the objective contradictions of this plan with the JCPOA have been ignored (especially the clauses and sections related to how the sanctions are resumed). For example, the Associated Press reported that the purpose of this plan is to resolve the issues that the White House and opposition parties in the United States are describing as "deficiencies" in the nuclear deal.

It should be noted that U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he has ordered his government to cooperate with the Congress and the U.S. allies to resolve "serious deficiencies" of the JCPOA. 
“In the event we are not able to reach a solution working with Congress and our allies, then the agreement will be terminated,” Trump said. “It is under continuous review and our participation can be cancelled by me, as president, at any time."

Currently, the U.S. media outlines the plan of the two extremist senators as a pattern that does not violate the nuclear deal with Iran, and at the same time, the concerns of the president of the United States are considered in it! This is while the "Cotton-Corker" plan is a clear violation of the JCPOA. However, the issue doesn't end there! The new U.S. senators' plan also has new clauses on Iran's nuclear "time-outs". By this "time-outs", they mean the time it takes for Iran to reserve nuclear material required for building up nuclear weapons in case of termination of the JCPOA. The JCPOA determines 1 year for this time-out, and American senators have set new conditions that through stopping Iran's nuclear activities, keeps this time for an indefinite period at this rate.
The Associated Press reports that this plan practically makes Iran's restrictions on uranium enrichment, nuclear material storage and launching for centrifuge devices permanent.

What does Cotton-Corker plan say about the inspection of Iran's military sites?
One of the other issues that has been considered in the plan of the two extremist senators is the inspection of military sites in Iran. The Cotton-Corker plan seeks to call Iran as the violator of the nuclear deal in case we refuse to grant Iran access to the IAEA for inspection of our military sites. In other words, if the International Atomic Energy Agency requests Iran to inspect its military sites and Iran opposes such a request, then the United States can declare a violation of the nuclear agreement by Iran and thereupon put unilateral sanctions against our country once again!

Another subject that has been considered in the Cotton-Corker plan is the section called "Sunset". This section is one of those parts that Trump emphasizes to be reviewed and effectively revoked. Corker and Cotton have imposed new restrictions on Iran, calling for the complete elimination of the so-called "Sunset" section. The Zionist regime and opponentsof the JCPOA in the United States have criticized that some of Iran's constraints on enriching the centrifuges will be removed within 10 to 15 years after the implementation of the nuclear deal. 

What is certain is that the plan of the U.S. Congress on the JCPOA means Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear deal and a violation of the JCPOA. There are no differences between the White House and U.S. Senators in this equation. However, it seems that the U.S. media are trying to make this plan look as it's in full agreement with the JCPOA! But as it can be clearly noticed, the Cotton-Corker plan is in fact a repeat of Trump's demands on the JCPOA, and is equal to "Change of the Nuclear Deal" and its "Violation" by the United States of America.