Returning to the Negotiating Table is an Inevitable Necessity!
Praising Imam Hassan's peace, once again raised speculation about the Islamic Republic's (IR) withdrawal from the policy of refusing to negotiate. But there are still no serious signs of a practical turnaround. Both the IR and the Trump administration are beating on the drum of intensifying hostility. In his latest stance, Mohammad Javad Zarif has ruled out any talks with the United States while Trump in power. Just a day before Khamenei's tweet, Trump vetoed a congressional resolution restricting the president's military powers against Iran. The passage of the resolution after the killing of Qassem Soleimani in Iraq by the US military was indicative of the concern of the majority of members of the US Congress about Donald Trump's foreign policy and warning him of not engaging in possible military adventures in the future. According to the resolution, the President of the United States could not engage his country's military forces with the IR of Iran without the explicit permission of the Congress. Vetoing this resolution, apart from Trump's treatment of the majority in Congress, demonstrates his determination to continue the current process of sanctions and pressure on the IR by any means possible. By launching "Noor Satellite", the IR also tried to show that it has achieved advanced technology in this field. Launch of the satellite is considered by the United States, like other missile tests by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and deviation from the agreements reached.
Rejecting Obama's move to make a "very bad" deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - BARJAM in Persian), and pulling out of it, the Trump administration is pushing for an economic siege, increasing political and economic pressure, and using any means, even military threats, to force the IR to retreat. The US government also has allies in the region, such as the Israeli right-wing and the current Saudi governments to counter the IR, each of which has its own reasons for opposing the IR's rise in the region and its affiliated militia groups in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq. According to the reactionary forces in the region, Pompeo, in his recent speech, called the Persian Gulf the Arab Gulf, which we believe is provocative and condemnable.
Khamenei's tweet indicates that once again, the knife of sanctions has passed through the bones of the people and reached the empty pocket of the regime. In the midst of Corona crisis, the “Economic Leap” slogan for this year has been a failure. The "Resistance Economy" has become a calamitous economy. Despair has forced Khamenei to speak of the heroic softness of "Imam Hassan Mojtaba, the bravest figure in the history of Islam."
But the current interactions can be understood in the context of realities that have occurred in the position of the parties. In the run-up to the election and in the wake of the blow to the US public opinion over Trump's incompetency in the face of the Corona crisis, Trump needs a political outcome that is a sign of success. Trump knows that, as a result of the "maximum sanctions" policy, the IR is under pressure, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the difficulties that the regime is facing in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon. Therefore, he is trying to take political advantage of the IR situation and trumpet it. The IR also believes that Trump is ready to make adjustments to the "maximum sanctions" policy before the election, in exchange for Tehran's minimal retreat, and that this could be a breathing space for the regime in these Corona conditions and economic bankruptcy. In fact, neither side is concerned with addressing the issue and resolving it. Buying time and declaring a political victory at this point is the goal of one side and surviving through these economic difficulties is the motivation of another. Both sides have postponed the game to the outcome of the US election. What is missing is the interests of the Iranian people and the interests of peace and collective security in the troubled Middle East region.
The leadership of the IR has rejected international efforts to mediate by rejecting the talks. Khamenei himself has called the talks "poisonous", rejected all proposals for dialogue and by continuing his tense and adventurous policies, has played with the country's fate. Recently, new groups, such as the “Harakat al-Shabaab” (Youth Movement) and “Ansar al-Sabrin” have been added to the paramilitary forces backed by the Quds Force. The logo of “Ansar al-Sabrin” is a complete copy of the logo of the IRGC.
If Khamenei's tweet is a sign that the IR is withdrawing from its current position of refusing to negotiate, it will only be effective if its withdrawal is accompanied with serious changes in its foreign and domestic policy and its presence in critical areas such as Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Without a change in the foreign and regional policy of the IR, the new "softness" will not go anywhere.
The Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian) believes that the only way to end hostility between the two countries is to return to the negotiating table, stop threats against each other and start negotiations without preconditions. When doors to the negotiations are closed, any small incident, especially in the Persian Gulf, where the two sides are a short distance apart, could lead to a military conflict. At the same time, in a situation where the country is in a deep economic crisis and sanctions have made life difficult for a large part of the population, avoiding negotiations has no meaning other than imposing more poverty and misery on the people. For the purpose of ending sanctions and preventing further economic misery, as well as eliminating the risk of military conflict and overcoming the current dangerous tensions, returning to the negotiating table is an inevitable necessity.
Political-Executive Board of the Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian)
May 14, 2020
افزودن دیدگاه جدید