U.S. should rejoin nuclear deal with Iran | READER COMMENTARY

Thank you for the brilliant analysis by Melvin Goodman (”Biden administration’s approach to Russia and China unproductive,” March 26). Mr. Goodman outlines some of the errors made so far by President Joe Biden and his administration with regard to Russia and China, errors which make a dangerous and costly Cold War much more likely. As he points out, the only winners when tensions are ramped up like this between these countries and ours are the arms manufacturers beholden to the Pentagon.

A critical foreign policy issue that Mr. Goodman did not discuss, but that is also extremely problematic, is the nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration with Iran, then unilaterally canceled by President Donald Trump. This deal showed what is possible with respectful, concerted diplomacy. It was working to reduce the probability of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and its success increased the likelihood of further treaties between the two countries on other important issues. Intrusive inspections in Iran were a part of that deal, and these inspections proved that Iran had complied in all respects with its responsibilities under the deal, referred to as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.

Joe Biden campaigned on a pledge to immediately rejoin the JCPOA, but he has made no effort to do so, and due to internal politics in Iran, including upcoming elections, time is rapidly running out for the U.S. to return to the deal. President Biden has important domestic issues to deal with, but losing this opportunity to ramp down tensions in the Middle East would be a huge mistake and disastrous for U.S. foreign policy in that region. The Biden administration should immediately rejoin the JCPOA, without adding new, unrelated preconditions (being demanded by some in Congress who never liked the deal to begin with), and should also lift all the Trump-era sanctions on Iran which have devastated Iran’s economy, impeded its ability to fight the coronavirus pandemic, and deeply harmed the people of Iran.

There is no excuse for the Biden administration to ignore such an important foreign policy issue.

Jean Athey, Baltimore

The writer is executive director of Maryland Peace Action.

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