Trump’s continued tirade against Iran undermines the non-proliferation regime
Dated – 20 – september 2017
U.S. President Donald Trump’s opposition to the Iran nuclear deal is not new. But by choosing his first address at the UN General Assembly, in which he listed his administration’s foreign policy priorities, to slam Tehran and the nuclear accord, he has put to rest any hope for improvement in ties with Iran. In his tirade on Tuesday, he called the Iran deal, which the U.S. and five other countries had signed with Tehran two years ago, an “embarrassment”, and “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into”. Unsurprisingly, it triggered a reaction from Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called out Mr. Trump’s “ignorant hate speech”, which he said belonged to “medieval times”. The message from the Trump administration is clear and consistent: the Obama-era pragmatism was an aberration and the decades-old hostility between the U.S. and the theocratic regime in Tehran stands resumed. The real test before Mr. Trump and the Iranians comes in less than a month. According to U.S. law, the administration must certify the Iran deal every 90 days. The Trump administration has twice done so, and the next deadline is October 15. Mr. Trump has already signalled that he would withdraw the certification next time. If he does so, it would be the beginning of the unravelling of an agreement that was forged after months of intense negotiation.
Failure of the U.S. to respect an international agreement it’s a signatory to would set a dangerous precedent. For all its shortcomings, the Iran nuclear deal is a multilateral agreement. And it has shown results. What had appeared to be an irresolvable issue only three years ago is now settled. International agencies have repeatedly certified that Iran is fully compliant with the terms of the agreement, which means the country is not pursuing any nuclear weapons programme. In plain terms, the deal is a success as it prevented a country with potential nuclear capabilities from developing weapons, and all this without a shot being fired. If the U.S. is serious about non-proliferation, it should use the Iran deal to resolve other complex international conflicts. What’s happening is just the contrary. Iran has been slapped with more sanctions by the U.S. over its missile programme. If Iran is not spared even after it agreed to give up a substantial part of its nuclear programme under a multilateral agreement, what message does it send to other countries about international diplomacy? No doubt, Mr. Trump’s continued attack on the Iran deal pleases hard-line supporters at home as well as Arab allies and Israel in West Asia. But it is undermining the global non-proliferation regime and international institutions. Should the U.S. pull out of the Iran deal, it would be a great setback for rules-based multilateral mechanisms.
Meaning :-
Priorities – a thing that is regarded as more important than others – प्राथमिकताओं.
Embarrassment – a feeling of self-consciousness, shame, or awkwardness – शर्मिंदगी
Worst – of the poorest quality or the lowest standard; least good or desirable – सबसे खराब
Unsurprisingly – in a way that is not unexpected and therefore does not cause surprise – आश्चर्य
Triggered – (of a mechanism) activated by a trigger – शुरू हो रहा
Belonged – be the property of – थे
Consistent – acting or done in the same way over time, especially so as to be fair or accurate – संगत
Aberration – a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected, typically an unwelcome one – विपथन
Hostility – hostile behaviour; unfriendliness or opposition – शत्रुता
Regime – a government, especially an authoritarian one – शासन
Resumed – begin again or continue after a pause or interruption – फिर से शुरू
Multilateral – having members or contributors from several groups, especially several different countries – बहुपक्षीय
Irresolvable – (of a problem or dilemma) impossible to solve or settle – हल न होनेवाला
Prevented – keep (something) from happening – रोका
Potential – having or showing the capacity to develop into something in the future – क्षमता
Substantial – of considerable importance, size, or worth – ठोस
Multilateral – agreed upon or participated in by three or more parties, especially the governments of different countries – बहुपक्षीय
Diplomacy – the profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations, typically by a country’s representatives abroad – कूटनीति
Mechanisms – a system of parts working together in a machine; a piece of machinery – तंत्र
0.5