William O. Beeman response to: "U.S. Accuses Iran of ‘Nuclear Extortion’ and Vows More Sanctions" NY Times July 10, 2019

https://nyti.ms/2XCgHTT#permid=101391426
The United States pulls out of the JCPOA, tries to destroy Iran's economy, and vows "regime change," favoring the despised terrorist group, the Mujaheddin-e Khalk (MEK/MKO) to state a U.S. led coup. Then U.S. representatives have the absolute gall to accuse Iran of "nuclear extortion."

When will anyone pay attention to the fact that Iran is fully in compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to which Iran and the United States along with nearly 200 other nations are signatories?

The NPT prohibits Iran from developing nuclear weapons. It also allows Iran to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. Currently 19 other nations enrich uranium, and indeed, sell it abroad with no censure. Iran is the only nation singled out for their legal enrichment activities.

Iran is also abiding by the JCPOA. Paragraph 36 allows Iran to relax its nuclear activities if other parties to the agreement fail to live up to their obligations under the agreement. First and foremost among those not living up to their obligations is the United States, by virtue of its withdrawal. Iranians correctly claim that the other JCPOA signatories are also not living up to the agreement, because Iran is not receiving the sanctions relief promised by the agreement.

It is not popular to defend Iran, but they are in the right here. The United States is profoundly wrong, and the Europeans are feckless and unwilling to step up and fulfill their obligations. "Nuclear extortion" indeed! Pot calling the kettle black!

William O. Beeman response to: Trump’s Iran Strategy Will Fail. Here’s Why. ‘Maximum pressure’ will only strengthen the Revolutionary Guards, which has recast itself as the defender of a new, nationalist narrative. By Narges Bajoghli New York Times June 30, 2019

https://nyti.ms/2NlXje2#permid=101223229

My response to: Trump’s Iran Strategy Will Fail. Here’s Why. ‘Maximum pressure’ will only strengthen the Revolutionary Guards, which has recast itself as the defender of a new, nationalist narrative.  By Narges Bajoghli New York Times June 30, 2019

Thanks to Professor Bajoghli for this enlightening analysis based on solid field research. Thanks, too, to the Times Dr publishing it. Since the US government under Trump makes no effort to understand anything beyond their juvenile gut reactions, we can be grateful that there are still a few genuine researchers who are able to go deeper than the cartoon characterizations of Iran today, fraught with lies, myths and empty invective. National Security Advisor John Bolton, accurately parodied by Gary Trudeau in Sunday's Doonesbury comic strip, is only the worst of the ignoramuses shaping our Iran "policy." There is plenty of uninformed chuckleheadedness to go around. Nationalism was a major driving force in the Iranian Revolution of 1978-79. It was why the Iranian government turned against the US. Having tried to control Iran since World War II, Iranians were sick of American control of their government and destiny. Secular nationalists were the first post-Revolutionary leaders of Iran, usurped after six months by Ayatollah Khomeini and the religionists. As Professor Bajoghli rightly states, the IGRC has tapped into that deep wellspring of universal Iranian nationalist sentiment, which ironically protects the religious conservatives as well. Iranians will resist fiercely Trump's attacks on the IGRC have been turned against him. His attacks will never bring about the "regime change" Bolton and his ilk lust after. We truly have the most ignorant fools running this clown show.