Iran rejects informal nuclear talks while US sanctions are in place
Greg Palkot reports from London.
The Biden administration’s nascent foreign policy was dealt a major setback when Iran declined to join informal talks this week brokered by the European Union with the U.S., Russia, China, the U.K., Germany and France. Their purpose was to discuss starting new U.S.-Iran negotiations to bring the United States back into the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, the JCPOA.
Iranian officials declined to attend the meeting, stating: "Iran does not consider this the time to hold an informal meeting with these countries," insisting that they do not want to hold talks with the U.S. until it first drops all sanctions on Iran.
Iran’s decision came just after a Washington Post story that America’s friends and allies are hedging their bets on supporting Biden’s new foreign policy because they believe the political pendulum could swing back in a few years with the reelection of Donald Trump or another Republican as president.
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The Biden administration has mocked and tried to reverse President Trump’s successful "America First" approach to national security intended to keep the U.S. safe while looking out for the American people’s interests and staying out of unnecessary wars.
The Post story indicates that America’s friends and allies realize America First has broad support in the United States and isn’t going away.
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Iranian officials probably believe this too and are reluctant to join nuclear talks with Biden’s diplomats because whatever they negotiate will be immediately reversed by a Republican president in January 2025.
Biden is repeating President Obama’s mistake about the Iranian regime: he believes that if the U.S. offers the right concessions, it could partner with Iran and negotiate an historic agreement to rein-in Iran’s nuclear program and promote peace in the Middle East. Biden officials also wrongly believed Iranian officials would immediately embrace them because of their mutual hatred of President Trump.
There’s no question Iranian leaders intensely hate Donald Trump – but they also hate Joe Biden. This is because Iran is a radical Islamist state that wants to destroy the United States, Western culture and our way of life. The election of a Democratic American president didn’t change this. Iran’s ruling mullahs will still cry out "death to America!" even though Trump has left office.
America’s friends and enemies view Biden’s constant refrain of "America is back" as utter foolishness.
Moreover, both America’s friends and enemies are having trouble taking Biden’s foreign policy seriously because it has no focus other than reinstituting Obama’s failed policies and undoing what Trump accomplished.
Biden has compounded this problem with his frequent declarations of "America is back" as a theme for his foreign policy. This statement reflects the views of American liberals that America under President Trump withdrew from the world, did not work with our allies and embraced isolationism.
America’s friends and enemies know this isn’t true. From the Abraham Accords, maximum pressure against Iran, moving America’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, pressing NATO states to spend more on defense, a tougher approach to China, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and personal diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the world knows America had a robust and successful foreign policy under President Trump.
Whether they loved him or hated him, America’s friends and enemies also know Trump was a dominant player on the world stage as president. They hence view Biden’s constant refrain of "America is back" as utter foolishness.
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Biden could establish a credible foreign policy that protects America’s interests by halting the juvenile attacks on his predecessor and implementing hard-hitting policies to defend America’s security and freedom even if this means sometimes continuing Trump policies.
This should include keeping America out of unnecessary wars, reducing the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, staying out of the fraudulent nuclear deal with Iran, expanding the Abraham Accords, maintaining a strong relationship with Israel, a tough approach to China that includes boycotting the 2022 Olympics due to the Chinese government’s genocide against the Uighurs, strong policies to protect the security of our southern border, and continuing high-level diplomacy with North Korea.
On Iran, the Biden administration could implement a credible policy by offering to rejoin the JCPOA and drop U.S. sanctions only if Iran comes into full compliance with the agreement and agrees to fix its many flaws. If Iran refuses, Biden should refuse to agree to talks with Iran and maintain Trump’s maximum pressure strategy.
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So far, there are no indications that Biden officials will adopt any of the above ideas. They plan to continue a rudderless foreign policy that fails to address serious threats facing our country and instead focuses on climate change and undoing Trump policies. There will be more absurd statements like the one Biden made last week dismissing the Chinese government’s genocide against the Uighurs as an issue of different "cultural norms." The U.S. may eventually hold talks with Iran and rejoin the JCPOA after the Biden administration provides Iran with huge concessions.
Elections have consequences, and the consequential damage of Joe Biden’s presidency could be huge. The only good news is the world may refuse to engage with the Biden administration’s aimless foreign policy because they know "America First" will be back.
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