By Sawraj Singh
Iran feels that the three European countries; UK, France and Germany have betrayed it and sold out to America to kill the Iran Nuclear deal. The United States announced its withdrawal from the deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) on May 8, 2018. However, the European Union had insisted that Iran was compliant with the deal and the European countries want to save the deal. The deal (JCPOA) was signed was signed on July 14, 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council- China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States plus Germany) together with the European Union. In May 2019 the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) certified that Iran was abiding by the main terms of the deal.
It seems that Europe is now helping Trump to finish the job of killing the Iran Nuclear deal. On January 5, 2020, Iran announced that it will not comply with its obligations under the deal in response to the withdrawal of the US from the deal and the re-imposition of economic sanctions by the US which had been lifted when the deal came into force. Instead of convincing the US to salvage the deal, the European countries are now becoming a party in killing the deal. When the US withdrew from the deal then in a joint statement France, Germany and the United Kingdom stated that they wanted the deal salvaged. However, now they are helping the USA to kill the deal by inappropriately triggering its dispute resolution mechanism (DRM).
It is in the interest of Russia, China and India to try to save the Iran Nuclear deal. These countries have good relations with Iran. Russia and China just conducted joint naval exercises with Iran. This was seen as a challenge by the Western countries and their Mid Eastern allies. The change of stand by the European countries could have something to do with this. They might be concerned with the emerging Russia- China-Iran axis. However, their stand puts them in a position of subservience to the US. The European countries, particularly France and Germany are trying to assert their independence from the US. Their stand on the Iran Nuclear deal will send exactly the opposite message. Russia, China and India should encourage the European countries to take independent stands of the US.
India has a special relationship with Iran. There are historical, cultural, political and economic relations between the two countries. Iran is a major supplier of oil to India. India gets this oil at a cheap rate. If India has to replace this oil then it will cost much more. This can further slow down the growth of the Indian economy. Already the Indian economy grew at much slower rate (about 5%) than the predictions of about 8% in the past year. India is helping Iran to develop the Chabahar port and has invested significantly there. India also has one of the largest Shia populations. Politically, Iran has taken many stands which were helpful for India.
If Russia, China and India can help to save the Iran Nuclear treaty then it will be considered a big step toward a multipolar world from the present US led unipolar world. The US is desperately trying to maintain its hegemony in the world in the form of a unipolar world order. However, it is in the interest of Russia, China and India as well as the European countries to end the American hegemony. American hegemony increases the chances of a military confrontation in the region which can be detrimental for the European countries also. A multipolar world is in the larger interest of the people of the world.
Mr. Zile Singh is much respected Link Columnist, writer, a Vipassana Meditator and has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Rights. He can be reached at [email protected]
