“The nuclear negotiations with the so-called 5 plus 1 countries and the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) agreement proved the good faith of Islamic Iran on the global scene and represented the uncommitted, disloyal and distrustfulness of the American bloodthirsty leadership and the European allies of the great Satan,” read a statement from the Coordinating Council of Islamic Propaganda, the main body in Iran that organizes public rallies under the direct auspices of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The hardline policies of the administration of US President Donald Trump, its withdrawal from the JCPOA last year, re-imposition of ever growing sanctions since November, and designation of the 120,000 strong Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization, have sparked fury in Iran, especially from hardliners who call for total withdrawal of Iran from the landmark deal.
On Wednesday, Iran said that its patience had run out with its European allies and announced the suspension of its commitment to some of its obligations under the JCPOA, threatening to suspend further commitments in 60 days if the remaining members of the accord do not ease pressure on Iran’s banking and oil sectors.
The move by Tehran prompted a response from the European Union and the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom on Thursday who said, “we remain fully committed to the preservation and full implementation of the JCPoA…” while strongly urging Iran “to continue to implement its commitments under the JCPoA in full as it has done until now and to refrain from any escalatory steps.”
“At the same time we recall our own firm commitments under the agreement including as regards sanctions-lifting for the benefit of the Iranian people. In this regard, we regret the re-imposition of sanctions by the United States following their withdrawal from the JCPoA,” their statement read.
On Monday, US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan announced that he had approved sending a carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf because of what he described as “credible” threat by Iranian regime forces. The rising tensions brought US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Baghdad the following day in an unannounced visit to underline the Iraqi government’s responsibility to protect American diplomatic missions and coalition personnel in his meeting with Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi.
Abdul-Mahdi, whose government tries to maintain delicately balanced relations with both Tehran and Washington, told Pompeo he wants Iraq to be a place where adversaries can come together and hold constructive dialogue. Iraq wants to maintain good relations with all nations, but Iraqi interests come first, he said, according to a statement from his office.
As Europeans try to calm tensions between the US and Iran, Iraq is increasingly tangled up in the rivalry between the two adversaries. President Trump said in December and subsequently in an interview in February that he wants US troops stationed in Iraq to “watch Iran.”
Iran has strong allies among Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and the US is worried that these militias could be used to attack American and other coalition personnel in the country. In its latest report, which covers the first three months of this year, Pentagon Inspector General catalogues a number of incidents involving coalition forces, Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and Shiite militias.
“PMF units have interfered with Coalition activities during the quarter,” said the Pentagon Inspector General. “Specifically, PMF forces gathered photo and video footage of Coalition personnel for use in spreading disinformation…. In addition, in February, a PMF unit confronted a joint U.S.-ISF security patrol in Ninewah province, forcing the patrol to return to its base… Also this quarter, a PMF checkpoint forced a Coalition reconnaissance unit to turn around while traveling to support a meeting with an Iraqi official near the Sinjar Mountains in Ninewah,” read the report.
Iraq has been thrust into the middle of this international dispute while Abdul-Mahdi’s government is already under heavy internal pressure to speed up reconstruction of war-damaged regions, invest in Iraq’s crumbling infrastructure, and tackle endemic corruption.
