Iran still "clings" to the JCPOA, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the international agreement under the Obama administration that gave the rogue Islamic regime billions of dollars in cash and was abandoned by President Trump as ineffectual at halting its march toward nuclear weapons.
That's according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, which said Washington is leading the economic broadside against the militants, while Israel is leading the military struggle.
The withdrawal by Trump is only "one element" of the president's "comprehensive strategy" to oppose the Islamic revolution in Iran.
There are political elements, military, economic and regional, the report said.
"The U.S.'s reinstatement of the economic sanctions on Iran following this withdrawal comprises the economic element in its fight against the regime of the Islamic revolution in Iran. … Iran is now facing a broad front, in which the U.S.is leading the political and economic struggle against the Iranian regime, and Israel, with U.S. support, is leading the military struggle against Iran's regional expansion in Syria."
The report said while "political and academic circles" have focused on Obama's agreement, which was not approved by the U.S. Senate and therefore could be dropped at Trump's will, it no longer is the real issue.
"It has to do with dealing comprehensively with revolutionary Iran, and with the joint effort of the U.S. and its allies in the region, and any other international element that they can recruit to it, against the Iranian revolutionary regime," MEMRI said.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this week said the world will work to delegitimize Iran's behavior.
The policy contrasts with the approach of Obama, who gave ideological and political legitimacy to the regime through the agreement, MEMRI said.
"President Obama transformed the Iranian regime from a rogue regime excluded from the international community since its Islamic revolution in 1979 into a legitimate regime, an equal partner, and a trustworthy negotiator accepted by the international community, whose word was credible and with whom agreements could be reached," the report said.
"Under pressure from President Obama, European countries adopted his approach to Iran, erasing its record as a terror state and human rights violator and as a threat to the surrounding countries."
Now the U.S. is returning to its original position and will treat Iran "as a terror state that violates human rights, is violently expanding in the region, is threatening its neighbors with missiles and other means, and is striving to obtain nuclear weapons."
The problem is that now Europe is standing with Iran.
The Iranian leadership is hoping that "clinging" to the JPCOA and to Europe "will buy it protection from the U.S.'s strategy of all-out confrontation with Iran," the analysis said.
Iran now is pressing Europe for more benefits, as well as protection from American sanctions.
But Europe "cannot possibly meet" Iran's "outlandish" conditions, the report said.
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