Leader: Ulterior Motives Behind Sanctions
Kayhan Int’l Political Desk
TEHRAN – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the Western sanctions regime against Iran have nothing to do with the country’s nuclear activities or human rights record, adding that there are other motives behind the illegal bans.
Ayatollah Khamenei says those who have imposed sanctions are themselves the ones who foster terrorism and commit human rights violations.
According to the Iranian Leader, the sanctions regime has been imposed because the Islamic Republic has emerged as a nation, a movement and an identity guided by principles against the hegemonic system. In his words, "Their objective is to prevent Iran from reaching a prominent civilizational status.”
His latest comments come amid the fact that the Iran sanctions regime was illegal and void from the outset. After so many years, it’s still illegal, void and counter-productive. There are presently eight NPT-illegal UN resolutions that have failed to force Tehran into retreat over its nuclear program.
To substantiate why the sanctions regime has failed, British Member of Parliament and Head of British Iranian Chamber of Commerce Lord Andrew Phillips once said: "The US-led sanctions against Iran have backfired, dealing a major blow to the commercial interests of British merchants and investors in Europe. Rivals such as Russia, China and others in Asia and South America have become Iran’s biggest trading partners as a consequence of erroneous policies on the part of London and Washington. The sanctions regime is not going anywhere, as it is not a smart move at all. The hope is that the next governments in London and Washington will also appreciate such an undeniable fact.”
The comments made by Lord Andrew Phillips serve as further proof that the coercive measures against Iran have indeed proven to be counterproductive and quite the opposite have turned into opportunities elsewhere. The rediscovery of Asia, Africa and South America, and their turn away from Europe has been the most important and perhaps the least expected consequence of the network of illegal Western sanctions and oil wars.
Within this context, with or without a final nuclear deal in Vienna, sanctions against Iran will crumble in the coming months. Even Germany’s Ambassador to the United States Peter Wessig agrees:
He says, "The alternatives to the diplomatic approach are not very attractive. If diplomacy fails, the sanctions regime might unravel and we would probably see Iran enriching once again as it has done before the negotiations started.”
Moreover, the sanctions regime will face more risk, if Washington were seen as responsible for the failure of ongoing diplomacy in Vienna. As maintained by the IAEA, Tehran has so far lived up to its obligations under the interim nuclear deal in Lausanne. Therefore, the country has nothing to lose if the talks fail.
According to the Iranian Leader, the sanctions regime has been imposed because the Islamic Republic has emerged as a nation, a movement and an identity guided by principles against the hegemonic system. In his words, "Their objective is to prevent Iran from reaching a prominent civilizational status.”
His latest comments come amid the fact that the Iran sanctions regime was illegal and void from the outset. After so many years, it’s still illegal, void and counter-productive. There are presently eight NPT-illegal UN resolutions that have failed to force Tehran into retreat over its nuclear program.
To substantiate why the sanctions regime has failed, British Member of Parliament and Head of British Iranian Chamber of Commerce Lord Andrew Phillips once said: "The US-led sanctions against Iran have backfired, dealing a major blow to the commercial interests of British merchants and investors in Europe. Rivals such as Russia, China and others in Asia and South America have become Iran’s biggest trading partners as a consequence of erroneous policies on the part of London and Washington. The sanctions regime is not going anywhere, as it is not a smart move at all. The hope is that the next governments in London and Washington will also appreciate such an undeniable fact.”
The comments made by Lord Andrew Phillips serve as further proof that the coercive measures against Iran have indeed proven to be counterproductive and quite the opposite have turned into opportunities elsewhere. The rediscovery of Asia, Africa and South America, and their turn away from Europe has been the most important and perhaps the least expected consequence of the network of illegal Western sanctions and oil wars.
Within this context, with or without a final nuclear deal in Vienna, sanctions against Iran will crumble in the coming months. Even Germany’s Ambassador to the United States Peter Wessig agrees:
He says, "The alternatives to the diplomatic approach are not very attractive. If diplomacy fails, the sanctions regime might unravel and we would probably see Iran enriching once again as it has done before the negotiations started.”
Moreover, the sanctions regime will face more risk, if Washington were seen as responsible for the failure of ongoing diplomacy in Vienna. As maintained by the IAEA, Tehran has so far lived up to its obligations under the interim nuclear deal in Lausanne. Therefore, the country has nothing to lose if the talks fail.