The Iranian nuclear program's heavy water reactor near Arak. Credit: Nanking2012 via Wikimedia Commons.
Politico: Obama hands scramble to save Iran deal
Democratic insiders try to stop Trump from risking ‘war,’ with former president’s tacit blessing.
As President Donald Trump threatens to blow up the Iran nuclear deal, Obama administration alumni are mobilizing to defend it.
One-time aides to Barack Obama are holding meetings, contacting lawmakers and working the media in an urgent bid to prevent the dismantling of one of the former president’s signature foreign policy achievements.
And yes, Obama is well aware of their efforts.
It’s a loosely coordinated fight they successfully waged from the White House against congressional Republicans who repeatedly tried to scupper the deal. It’s also a battle they had hoped to avoid: After slamming the deal as a candidate, Trump has already passed up multiple chances to upend it.
But now the former Obama hands — many of whom who spent several grinding all-nighters sealing the agreement — fear Trump is prepared to sabotage it this fall.
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WNU Editor: The problem that I have with critics of President Trump's approach to Iran is that they are almost exclusively focused on what President Trump is doing, and not on what the Iranians are doing. When Iran made it clear that they would not permit inspectors to visit military sites, it raised a red flag for me .... Iran Rules Out Any Possibility That UN Nuclear Inspectors Will Be Permitted To Inspect Military Sites (August 29,2 017). But for supporters of the Iranian nuclear deal .... this is a non-issue. The UN also did not help the situation by declaring that they would not inspect the sites since they believed that Iran was complying with the deal .... The U.N.'s Nuclear Watchdog Will Not Inspect Iran's Military Sites (August 31, 2017). How the UN make such a declaration/conclusion without conducting inspections is still a mystery to me ... but that is another story. Recent threats by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq to wage war against the U.S. is not helping the situation, nor the continuing altercations between U.S. and Iranian vessels in the Persian Gulf .... Pentagon: Iran Vessels Harass Another U.S. Navy Ship In The Persian Gulf (September 6, 2017). Bottom line .... the Iranian nuclear deal was suppose to usher in a new era for U.S. - Iranian relations, but all we have seen since the deal was signed was business as usual ... i.e. confrontation, threats, and tensions.
Update: It should also be noted that speculation on what President Trump may do when it comes to Iran may just be that .... speculation .... because in the real world he has not terminated the deal when he had the chance to do so .... U.S. extends some Iran sanctions relief under nuclear deal (Reuters).
