US sanctions on Iran bad news for everyone: AIC president

Originally published on Trend News Agency

The new US sanctions on Iran is a bad news for everyone, including the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), Iran, the EU and others not involved in the nuclear deal, Hooshang Amirahmadi, president of the American Iranian Council (AIC), told Trend.

The US House of Representatives and Senate voted overwhelmingly last week to slap new sanctions on Iran, Russia and North Korea, but the bill, in order to become a law, needs to be signed by President Donald Trump.

Amirahmadi said that the new sanctions will loosen commitments to the deal, prevent Iran from fully benefiting from the JCPOA, and increase tension between the US and some of Iran’s major trading partners.

"It will especially worsen relations between the US and Iran and can potentially lead to a new spiral of conflict between the two, which may have far reaching regional consequences. The US’ intention is to make Iran leave the JCPOA, but I am sure Iran will stay with the deal."

Amirahamdi added that the Hassan Rouhani government will come under pressure to respond in ways that could escalate the tension.

"If further sanctions are imposed and more restrictions are placed on Iran’s trading partners, Tehran may even consider to leave the NPT [the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty], an option that it could exercise even if it stays with the JCPOA. The JCPOA largely exists outside the NPT framework," he added.