Context:
U.S. President Donald Trump recently sent a letter to Iran for negotiating a new nuclear deal – one which the U.S. concluded with Iran in 2015 but unilaterally scrapped it in 2018. With a two-month deadline, the letter warned Iran of the consequences of rejecting the negotiation and advancing its nuclear industry. Leader of Iran Ayatollah Khamenei, however, rejected the proposal, calling it deceptive and dismissing U.S. threats. The response fueled debates about U.S.-Iran relations.
But the question is, why did Iran reject such a proposal?
Flashback:
It was in 2015 that a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed between Iran and Russia, China, Germany, the UK, France, and the U.S. to lift some sanctions on Iran and in exchange for Iran's curbing its nuclear program. But the U.S., under Trump, unilaterally withdrew from the agreement on May 18, 2018, re-imposing more sanctions on Iran.
Now, once again, the U.S. under Trump has come to dictate another deal on Iran regardless of its former commitments to JCPOA remained unfulfilled. He has warned Iran of "negotiation or bombardment."
Context:
Perhaps one says that Ok, the U.S. sees Iran as an adversary of itself and Israel in West Asia, the one that is independent, not subjugated by the U.S., and does not serve the U.S. interests. So, the U.S. is angry and seeks to revenge on Iran.
Yes, but: Let's see why others, even the allies, lament about their deals with the U.S., as the unilateral withdrawal is not limited to Iran!
Zoom in:
Paris Agreement: A global treaty adopted in 2015 at COP21 in Paris. It aimed at limiting global temperature rise. The pact required countries to submit and update their climate action plans, every five years. the U.S. formally exited this agreement on June 2, 2017, under President Trump.
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty: The treaty, was signed between the U.S. under Ronald Reagan and the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987. It aimed to eliminate intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. Despite efforts to resolve issues, the U.S. exited, with NATO backing the decision.
Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP): This one is with South Africa. This partnership aimed to support South Africa's transition to cleaner energy sources. The U.S. decision to exit the partnership, along with associated financial pledges, affected South Africa's plans for energy transition and its broader climate goals.
Kyoto Protocol: Although the U.S. signed the Kyoto Protocol, it never ratified the agreement and formally withdrew in 2001, citing concerns over economic impacts. The pact sets binding emission reduction targets for 37 industrialized countries and economies in transition and the European Union.
OECD Global Tax Deal: Another instance involves the OECD Global Tax Deal, where the U.S. withdrawal in 2025 complicated Australia's efforts to address multinational tax avoidance. 130 countries signed OECD in 2021, then it started in 2023.
What they're saying:
Emmanuel Macron, President of France: "The American security umbrella is a thing of the past."
"Europe must build its own credible defense strategy if it wants to survive."
Angela Merkel, Former Chancellor of Germany: "We can no longer fully rely on the United States. We must fight for our own future as Europeans."
The bottom line:
It is as if the story of the U.S. blessings have no end. Although the U.S. erected Ukraine against Russia in 2022, it announced in February 2025 that it no longer would support Ukraine as Zelensky was shot out of the White House.
The U.S. talks about democracy, but it supports dictators when it suits its interests. How can we trust a country that changes its principles based on convenience?
What do you think?
seyed mohammad kazemi
