By Ali Salehabadi
Administrator and managing editor of Setare Sobh daily- Iran
TEHRAN: The seasonal meeting of the Board of Governors has ended. Although Abbas Araghchi and Rafael Grossi reached an agreement in Cairo about inspections, this one-sided agreement will not solve the sanctions problem.
Iran plans to continue inspections in a limited way, but this will not satisfy the Agency. If the trigger mechanism (snapback) is activated, all previously lifted UN sanctions will automatically return, and both the economy and daily life will be affected. Officials must understand that the Agency is the technical arm of the Board of Governors and the UN Security Council.
If Iran can make a deal and compromise with the Agency before October 18 (26 Mehr), it can escape the “quadrilateral of pressure,” whose four sides are: Europe, the Agency, the U.S., and Israel. Otherwise, tension, sanctions, and war will come together.
The mistake was when Trump gave a 60-day deadline and said “deal or bomb.” Officials claimed war would not happen and that it was only a threat or bluff. But it was not a bluff — nuclear sites were attacked.
If politicians had understood the situation, they would have made a deal with Trump to stop uranium enrichment. Then neither war would have happened, nor nuclear sites destroyed. Contrary to what officials believed, both happened.
If there had been compromise, nuclear sites would have remained for future generations — but they did not. Explain why you miscalculated and said war would not happen, and other such matters.
The Minister of Economy said this year’s budget deficit is 800 trillion tomans. This means triple-digit inflation is coming, and pressures will increase even more.
Since the U.S. lost hope in Iran, it left the negotiating table and even offered rewards for people who find ways sanctions are being bypassed. If Iran cannot sell oil, it will have to print money, which reduces the value of the national currency and raises prices further.
The regional and global situation has also turned against Iran. The Gulf Cooperation Council countries issued a statement about the three Iranian islands, saying: “This is the last time we only issue a statement.” The meaning of this threat is that next time they will take the islands case to the UN Security Council. Then we will see whether Russia and China — who previously defended Iran’s ownership — will still do so. Europe has supported the UAE’s claim; only the U.S. has not. What is happening? Who is responsible for these developments?
Three European countries told the Foreign Minister there are three conditions for not activating the snapback mechanism: Direct negotiation and compromise with the U.S.; agreement with the Agency.; and clarification of the 408 kilograms of 20% and 60% enriched uranium.
Iran will not accept any of these three. The most important is negotiation with the U.S. If Iran accepts this, it does not mean surrender. The U.S. wants: zero enrichment, limits on missile range, and for Iran to stop supporting the “resistance axis.”
Every day, the multi-sided pressure on Iran increases. This process is the result of wrong and uncalculated ideological and apocalyptic policies, which instead of building paradise for the people, have created hell.
