Today, as U.S. President Donald Trump tears up the agreement, the Iranian people are once again those who will suffer most. The hardline narrative — that the United States cannot be trusted and will never lift the sanctions — has been vindicated by Trump’s shortsighted and self-serving decision. Yet, much like hardliners in Washington, Iranian hardliners have no good “plan B” for what comes after the deal. Critically, Rouhani as well has indicated that Iran can achieve benefits under the JCPOA without the United States. Israel and Saudi Arabia also hold many cards that could short-circuit diplomacy and drag the United States into direct military confrontation.

Source: Huffington Post May 09, 2018 00:45 UTC