Pomeo’s conditions for Iran are a nonstarter: American expert

May 30, 2018 - 21:15

The 12 conditions put forth for Iran by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are a nonstarter, a former advisor at the U.S. Department of State believes.

“These are nonnegotiable; I don’t see Iran agreeing to them. If Iran agreed to them, there wouldn’t be a whole lot to negotiate,” Denis Jat told the Islamic Republic News Agency in an interview published on Wednesday.

Jat said that many of these demands go beyond the Iran nuclear deal. “Just the first three conditions are related to Iran’s nuclear program, but the other nine have nothing to do with the nuclear program,” he said, adding that Iran is waiting for Europe to come up with the plans to circumvent the American sanctions.

He said that by re-imposing sanctions on Iran, the U.S. “would like to see regime change’ in Iran.”

The former advisor added that Senator Tom Cotton and national security advisor John Bolton are among those who seek regime change in Iran.

Regarding the U.S. attempt to form a consensus against Iran, Jat said that the Europeans have announced that they are committed to the deal. 

The U.S. administration may be about to have Poland and Hungary and Guatemala to go along because they want to create favor with the United states in the same way that they made a coalition to invade Iraq, but the remaining JCPOA parties and most of the European Union won't join such a coalition, the former advisor said.

He said Russia is among the winners of the dispute between the EU and the U.S., adding Russian President Vladimir Putin will be happy with the discord among the EU and U.S. “Putin, in his attempt to build up Russia, thinks he can do that by weakening any kind of cooperation in the West, within Europe or between Europe and the United States.”

Jat also said that Trump’s actions will undermine the cooperation between democratic countries.

He added that Trump may not finish his term. “Trump is a consummate narcissist” and only thinks about huge things and how they affect him and his wealth.”