Page 5 - IRANRptJul18

2.0 Politics
2.1 Rouhani spells out to Europe what Iran wants to stay
in nuclear deal
Rouhani rallies the nation
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has sent a list of demands to France, Germany and the UK which he says must be met if Iran is to stay in the nuclear deal abandoned by Donald Trump, according to a statement posted on the official Iranian government website, dolat.ir, on June 27.
Meanwhile, the same day saw Iran Front Page (IFP) report that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has given major EU states a week to clarify how they are going to live up to their promise to, along with fellow accord signatories Russia and China, save the multilateral nuclear agreement.
The situation for Iran has grown more precarious given moves by Washington this week that show Trump is playing hardball when it comes to Iran’s oil exports , which are crucial to its economic health. A senior US State Department official on June 26 warned that the world must stop buying Iranian oil before November 4 or face a renewed round of American economic sanctions.
The conveyed message ended any hope that the Trump White House would compromise and follow the sanctions model pursued by Barack Obama during his economic campaign against Iran—OPEC’s third biggest oil exporter—prior to the late 2016 signing of the nuclear accord, formally named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Obama’s administration asked buyers of Iranian crude to cut their imports by 20% every 180 days while it ramped up pressure against Iran.
The statement on the official government website did not disclose details of the letters Rouhani sent to French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UK Prime Minister Theresa May. But it added that Iran’s president had decided to list Iran’s conditions for staying in the deal to his European partners before it is too late to save the JCPOA from complete ruin.Sofar ,E uropehascomeupwithlittle topersuadeIranthattheaccord can still provide it with worthwhile rewards.
Trump, who has claimed the nuclear accord is a disastrous agreement because it is far too favourable to Iranian interests, is aiming to place so much economic pressure on Iran that it is forced to the table to negotiate a new deal that would include stipulations on Iran’s military and behind-the-scenes political involvement in conflict zones of the Middle East and development of ballistic missiles.
With Tehran suffering some street unrest in recent days which shut down its Grand Bazaar—many protesters were merchants venting their frustration at the collapse of the Iranian rial (IRR) and the lack of access to hard currency at a tolerable rate — Rouhani on June 26 gave a speech broadcast live by state television in which he prepared the Iranian people for tough times ahead, rallying spirits by saying they could survive any difficulties and “bring America to its knees”.
5 IRAN Country Report July 2018 www.intellinews.com