Islamabad, IRNA — A leading Pakistani English news daily says Iran’s demand to seek US guarantee that it will not withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) again is reasonable.
Daily ‘The Nation’ in its editorial comments said that reports have emerged that the US and Iran are now closer than ever to salvaging the 2015 deal.
It said as per the details that have been released, envoys from Iran, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany, the European Union and United States are still negotiating details of the draft accord.
“However, now that the deal is about to be revived, the US should perhaps reflect on its decision to pull-out from the JCPOA—which was considered to be a great diplomatic achievement,” said the editorial.
It added the US abrupt withdrawal from the agreement worsened bilateral relations and increased regional tensions, but most importantly it is the innocent Iranian civilians who suffered most from the economic sanctions.
“The lesson here is quite obvious, a lot more can be achieved without causing unnecessary damage to both diplomatic overtures and citizen welfare in Iran,” said the paper.
The Nation said Iran is demanding that the US guarantee that it will not withdraw again, but Washington is hesitant to commit as it cannot give assurances about what may happen under a different government.
“From Iran’s perspective, this is a reasonable demand given that there is already precedent of the US abandoning the deal even when Tehran was adhering to the guidelines,” it said.
The editorial viewed one hopes that the US will have learnt its lesson and it will negotiate in good faith as talks near the finish line.
Source: Islamic Republic News Agency – IRNA
