{"id":307217,"date":"2025-04-22T06:32:53","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T06:32:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=307217"},"modified":"2025-04-24T06:31:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T06:31:23","slug":"the-treaty-trump-called-the-worst-deal-in-history-was-the-most-wide-ranging-and-stringent-nuclear-agreement-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=307217","title":{"rendered":"The Treaty Trump Called “The Worst Deal in History” Was the Most Wide-Ranging and Stringent Nuclear Agreement of All-Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mike Whitney \u2013 The Unz Review April 20, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The treaty that the United States and Iran signed in July 2015, was the most exhaustive and stringent nuclear agreement in history. <\/strong>No other nuclear treaty comes close. The so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) imposed the most rigorous and extensive verification measures and restrictions of any treaty ever. In terms of scope, enforcement and duration, it was the toughest of all-time, hands-down.<\/p>\n

The strict controls on Iran\u2019s nuclear program, ensured that Iran would not be able to divert nuclear material to a weapons program. In short, the deal made it impossible for Iran to build a nuclear weapon<\/strong> which was the stated goal of the agreement and the primary reason for US involvement. But on May 8, 2018, President Trump withdrew from the treaty without consulting Congress or US allies, putting the US in material breach of its obligations under the terms of the agreement.<\/strong> Additionally, he reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran<\/strong> despite the fact that Iran had already shipped 25,000 pounds of enriched uranium out of the country, dismantled and removed two-thirds of its centrifuges, removed the calandria from its heavy water reactor (and filled it with concrete), and provided unprecedented access to its nuclear facilities and supply chain. In every way, shape and form, Iran had complied with the \u2018letter of the law\u2019 and fulfilled its obligations under the terms of this odious agreement, and yet Trump saw fit to consign it to the dustbin with a wave of the hand. <\/strong>This is the story that the western media will never tell its readers.<\/p>\n

The treaty featured stricter requirements on Uranium Enrichment Limits, sharp reductions in the stockpile of low-enriched uranium, sharp reduction in the number of centrifuges that were allowed, new and onerous restrictions on underground facilities and research sites, complete termination of plutonium production, and a total ban on the building of heavy-water reactors.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was given access to Iran\u2019s entire nuclear supply chain, including uranium mines, centrifuge production, and undeclared sites.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Iran also willingly submitted to continuous monitoring that allowed 24\/7 inspections of declared facilities;<\/strong> \u201cchallenge inspections\u201d that allowed the IAEA access to suspicious sites; and humiliating Additional Protocols, that imposed special transparency measures that were never imposed on any other country in any other treaty. <\/strong><\/p>\n

In every way, the JCPOA was the \u2018gold standard\u2019 of nuclear treaties, which means that\u2014under its provisions\u2014one could be 100% certain that Iran would never build a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n

Let me repeat that: Under the terms of the JCPOA the world could be 100% certain that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, what part of this agreement sounds like \u201cThe worst deal in history\u201d??<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Trump has never been asked that question, nor would he be able to answer it. If he was honest, however, he would admit that he withdrew from the treaty not due to anything Iran had done (Iran remained in strict compliance throughout.) but because Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu saw the treaty as an obstacle to his regime change plans for Tehran. As many people have come to realize, Israel aspires to become the regional hegemon which means that the economic strangulation of Iran must persist until which time Bibi can goad Trump into launching decapitation strikes on Tehran. <\/strong>That is the ultimate strategic objective, to obliterate Iran just as Israel-US have obliterated of Libya, Iran, Syria and now, Lebanon. Iran looms as the last great obstacle to Israel\u2019s ambitious plan to rule the Middle East.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that the JCPOA was endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231, making it part of international law. While not a binding treaty, Trump\u2019s unilateral withdrawal and reimposition of sanctions clearly violated the resolution\u2019s call for all states to support the deal. A number of scholars have argued that Trump\u2019s action undermined the principle of pacta sunt servanda. (agreements must be kept)<\/p>\n

By the way, all of the other signatories\u2014UK, France, Russia, China, Germany and the EU\u2014held up their end of the bargain and honored the agreement. But not the United States, because the United States does not keep its word when it chooses not to do so. Rules, restrictions, treaties and laws do not apply to the United States.<\/p>\n

The point we are making is that Iran acted honorably and fulfilled its obligations while the United States impulsively shrugged off its commitments and behaved like a petulant child. And that is why the Iranian negotiators refuse to even sit in the same room with the US negotiators. <\/strong>We should point out, however, that even on this seemingly trivial matter, Trump finds it impossible to tell the truth. He continues to insist that the two teams of negotiators are conducting direct \u201ctalks\u201d when he knows for a fact that they are in separate rooms shuttling hand-written messages back and forth. This pattern of compulsive deception, even on the most insignificant of issues, is not normal. It\u2019s a type of psychological disorder. Here\u2019s an excerpt from an article at Press TV<\/em> (which is an Iranian publication that is a thousand times more reliable than CNN<\/em>):<\/p>\n

Trump famously referred to the 2015 nuclear agreement as \u201cthe worst deal in history\u201d and promised to strike a \u201cbetter deal\u201d that would also address other issues such as the Islamic Republic\u2019s ballistic missile program and regional activities, issues that Iran had called its redlines.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In pulling out of the deal, the US president initiated what he called a \u201cmaximum pressure\u201d campaign aimed at compelling Iran to renegotiate a new deal. All the other parties to the deal \u2013 Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany \u2013 expressed regret over the US decision and pledged to uphold the agreement. Analysis: As indirect nuclear talks resume in Rome, why is Iran distrustful of US,<\/a> Press TV<\/em><\/p>\n

So, there you have it: Trump pulled out of the most far-reaching and stringent nuclear treaty in history\u2014not because Iran broke the rules\u2014but because he was acting as an agent for Israel. He wanted to use the sanctions as a means of coercing Iran into abandoning its friends (Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis) and giving up the weapons (ballistic missiles) it needs to defend itself against the impending US-Israel military attack.<\/strong> Naturally, from Israel\u2019s point of view, this makes perfect sense, while from Iran\u2019s perspective it is tantamount to national suicide. Iran would have to be \u2018barking mad\u2019 to dismantle its strategic missile program at the precise time that Israel has lost all grip on reality and is rampaging across the region like Attila the Hun. Here\u2019s more:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Whatever (Trump\u2019s) true motives\u2026 one fact remains indisputable: the US abandoned the JCPOA despite the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) repeatedly confirming Iran\u2019s full compliance with its nuclear obligations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The UN nuclear agency, responsible for monitoring nuclear programs, had issued 15 reports verifying that Iran was adhering to the terms of the agreement<\/strong>, including limitations on uranium enrichment and reductions in its nuclear stockpile.<\/p>\n

It had confirmed that Iran\u2019s enriched uranium stockpile and heavy water reserves remained within the specified limits, noting that Iran had not exceeded the agreed-upon limits on key nuclear activities and had provided inspectors with access to all necessary sites. Analysis: As indirect nuclear talks resume in Rome, why is Iran distrustful of US<\/a>, Press TV<\/em><\/p>\n

Repeat: 15 reports verifying that Iran was adhering to the terms of the agreement!!!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The average American would never sit down and negotiate with someone who had repeatedly stabbed him in the back and \u201cscrewed him over.\u201d But, once again, Iran has expressed its willingness to engage the US in negotiations despite Washington\u2019s abysmal track record. And while we applaud their perseverance, we question their judgement. Here\u2019s more:<\/p>\n

Signed in July 2015 under President Barack Obama, the JCPOA was initially hailed as a triumph of diplomacy. But while Iran swiftly and fully implemented its commitments, the United States failed to hold up its end of the bargain from the very beginning.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sanctions were supposed to be lifted on implementation day (January 16, 2016), once the IAEA confirmed Iran\u2019s compliance. But the US Treasury imposed new sanctions the very next day, <\/strong>targeting individuals and entities connected to Iran\u2019s missile program \u2013 even though missiles were not prohibited under the JCPOA or even UN Security Council Resolution 2231.<\/p>\n

Throughout 2016, Washington continued to apply pressure tactics. Iran, for example, was only granted partial permission to purchase commercial aircraft after months of delay and a formal warning that it would invoke the JCPOA\u2019s Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM).<\/p>\n

Of the 117 Airbus aircraft Iran ordered, only three were delivered; none of the Boeing planes it ordered ever arrived.<\/p>\n

In a more serious breach, US Congress passed a 10-year extension of the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) in December 2016.
\nAnalysis: As indirect nuclear talks resume in Rome, why is Iran distrustful of US,<\/a> Press TV<\/em><\/p>\n

Fair-minded Americans who have followed events in the Middle East closely, are probably not surprised at the dismal way that Iran has been treated. Even so, it\u2019s shocking to see that the \u201cUS Treasury imposed new sanctions the very next day!\u201d That\u2019s got to be some kind of record! In other words, the ink on the treaty was still wet when double-dealing Obama went back on his word and violated the agreement.<\/strong> Here\u2019s more:<\/p>\n

\u2026. under Obama, the US approach to the JCPOA was marked by delays, loopholes, and politically calculated half-measures. The agreement may have represented a breakthrough on paper, but Washington\u2019s failure to deliver meaningful economic relief signaled early on that the US could not be counted on to uphold its commitments, even when diplomacy was supposedly in full swing\u2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fast forward to 2025, when Trump, upon returning to the White House, swiftly reinstated his \u201cmaximum pressure\u201d campaign against Iran\u2026.<\/p>\n

In a development that underscored the contradictions of Washington\u2019s approach, Trump sent a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei expressing willingness to reach a deal, while threatening Iran with military action if no agreement is reached<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The move is widely viewed in Tehran as another attempt to create the illusion of diplomacy while intensifying sanctions and threats on the ground. For Iranian officials, it serves as further proof of the US pattern: Hostile actions cloaked in the language of outreach\u2026.<\/p>\n

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized that Tehran is open to negotiations but not under coercive tactics, stating that talks under \u201cmaximum pressure\u201d equate to surrender.<\/p>\n

In his February 7 speech, Ayatollah Khamenei<\/strong> pointed out that the JCPOA, which was the result of two years of intense negotiations, was torn up under Trump\u2019s first term, asserting that negotiating with such an administration is \u201cnot wise, smart and honorable.\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cWe negotiated, we gave concessions, and we made compromises, but we didn\u2019t attain the intended result,\u201d he said, referring to the talks that resulted in the 2015 deal. \u201cWe must learn from this experience.<\/strong>\u201d Analysis: As indirect nuclear talks resume in Rome, why is Iran distrustful of US<\/a>, Press TV<\/em><\/p>\n

One cannot help but wonder: Is Iran just wasting its time dealing with Trump? Wouldn\u2019t it be wiser to simply end this farce and go back to building more missiles?<\/p>\n

What\u2019s clear is that none of this has anything to do with nuclear programs, nuclear enrichment or nuclear proliferation. It\u2019s all a diversion aimed at stripping Iran of its critical weapons systems (ballistic missiles) so it is unable to defend itself against an Israeli-US attack. The real goal is to plunge Iran into the same chaotic misery as Libya, Syria and Iraq, all of whom have been deliberately annihilated so Israel can emerge as the preeminent regional power.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The treaty that the United States and Iran signed in July 2015, was the most exhaustive and stringent nuclear agreement in history. No other nuclear treaty comes close. So why did Trump REALLY pull out?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":307218,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-307217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-Iran"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=307217"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307217\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":307221,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307217\/revisions\/307221"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/307218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=307217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=307217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=307217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}