We have been hearing talk that Iran will cooperate ever since the term of US President Barack Obama.
In the region, we have been hearing these remarks since the time of Hashemi and Rafsanjani, and now the Europeans and American administration are repeating them.
Of course, none of this cooperation has been achieved. But let us talk now of Iran of the past week, not of decades or years.
The American administration and West were awaiting the Iranian response to the negotiations over its nuclear deal. Tehran made its response in what the US and West described as a “step backwards.”
On Saturday, France, Britain and Germany (E3) vented their frustration at its demand in talks to revive its 2015 nuclear deal that the UN nuclear watchdog close a probe into uranium particles found at three sites, adding that it was jeopardizing the talks.
“This latest demand raises serious doubts as to Iran's intentions and commitment to a successful outcome on the JCPoA,” the three countries said in a statement, referring to the deal's full name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
“Iran's position contradicts its legally binding obligations and jeopardizes prospects of restoring the JCPoA,” they added.
“Given Iran’s failure to conclude the deal on the table, we will consult, alongside international partners, on how best to address Iran’s continued nuclear escalation and lack of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding its NPT (non-proliferation treaty) safeguards agreement,” the E3 said.
On Wednesday, Albania severed diplomatic ties with Iran after it carried out a cyber-attack against Tirana, prompting condemnation from NATO.
“We strongly condemn such malicious cyber activities designed to destabilize and harm the security of an ally, and disrupt the daily lives of citizens,” it said.
On Friday, prosecutors in Germany announced the largest heroin bust in the country that can be traced back to Iran. Four people were detained, with police confiscating some 700 kilograms as part of an operation against a gang smuggling narcotics from Iran.
Well, this has been the news from Iran in the past week. We haven’t even spoken about what it has been doing in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon or Yemen or about its actions in the Gulf and other waters, such as seizing vessels and threatening marine navigation.
This is Iran in just a single week. This is the Iran that the West, led by Obama, had been hoping for some form of cooperation with and for Tehran to show some openness.
Obama specifically used to say that Iran’s critics were the same parties that would rush to war.
This is the Iran that neighbors us, that has been exporting terrorism and ruining our region for some four decades.
In spite of all the false talk about Iran’s desire to cooperate and negotiate and display some openness, this is Iran in just one week!
