UN Ambassador Nikki Haley has been working on Iran Nuke-Deal oversight, with a focus on compliance. The US doesn’t think Iran is following the deal to the letter. Iran thinks the US is trying to undermine the IAEA Inspectors by meeting with them and wants the Inspectors to keep mum. No one entirely trusts anyone, and there’s nothing new about that.
Maybe everyone is right, or maybe they are wrong but a nuclear Iran would be one of the dumbest things to happen in my lifetime, and I grew up practicing nuclear attack/fallout drills in elementary school.
As to the matter of compliance, ‘The Deal™” already includes everything we need to drop the hammer and return to full sanctions against the Islamic Republic for any reason.
A commenter over at Legal Insurrection explains.
Time to invoke the snap-back clause. Actually the time to do that was at one minute after noon on January 20th. But there’s no time like the present. Remember that 0bama had this clause inserted into the UN resolution. At any time, any member can notify the Secretary General that it believes Iran is in violation of the deal; no evidence need be given, and 30 days later all the UN mandatory sanctions on Iran automatically snap back into place, except for contracts that were signed during the suspension. The only thing that can stop this automatic snap-back is a new Security Council resolution, which the US can veto. Remember, these sanctions are binding on all UN members, including Russia and China.
I didn’t verify the claim, but it is instructive if true.
The Trump Administration did not trigger any snap-back clause at the first opportunity. Instead, they have Haley using the channels and the process, which if I had to guess was to provide cover–in the form of enough real or circumstantial evidence–to invoke the full weight of sanctions when or as needed.
Not that I’m sure it matters. Iran is going to cheat either way as are the foreign vendors who profit from their contracts, so sanctions will slow but not stop development. Iran wants nukes and not for energy. They don’t need it.
Iran has the second largest oil reserves on the planet and is third in natural gas production. They have thermal and hydro. And they have added nuclear even though they were already a net exporter of electricity.
Nuclear power is a nice cover for a nuclear weapons program. A kind of destruction for which retaliation is not a concern.
They’ve admitted that if everyone dies, it would still be a victory for Allah.
This brings us back to the UN, sanctions, and ambassador Haley.
She’s doing an amazing job.
A few weeks ago US saber rattling was supposed to incite nuclear war with North Korea until the North said never mind.
Now she’s on the hunt and the path to sanctions is ballistic missile development that violates The Deal™.
I get the feeling she’ll get what she’s after because Iran is undoubtedly working on delivery systems that can carry the product of their peaceful nuclear energy program wherever Allah bids them.
And Allah bids them deliver everywhere there are infidels. And there are a lot of infidels.
If America doesn’t lead on this no one will and no matter what your opinion of Mr, Trump, his choice for UN Ambassador is a home run.
