Pakistani analyst: Obama will veto House move to extend Iran Sanctions Act

Islamabad, Nov 26, IRNA - A senior Pakistani analyst says that voting by the US House of representatives for legislation to extend Iran Sanctions Act for 10 years is in contravention of the nuclear deal struck in July 2015 and president Obama will veto such a law. In an interview with IRNA, Lieutenant General (retired) Talat Masood, said that if the US does not abide by the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) Iran will also pursue its own pre-planned options which might not be helpful for the regional and global peace. “I don’t not know what alternatives Iran would take exactly if the US extend the sanctions. It will depend on how Iran wants to align itself with other countries, or it could resume developing its own nuclear capabilities to counter the US move,” he viewed. The US House of Representatives voted on Tuesday for legislation to extend Iran Sanctions Act for 10 years In reaction, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has warned the US administration about breach of the nuclear deal according to which the United States undertook not to extend fresh sanctions on Iran. Talat Masood, added that the US voting is a very hostile violating the nuclear deal that also shows the Zionist lobby is very strong and Trump is playing just like a puppet in their hands. “I think it really amounts to completely revoking policies of Obama who had realized that it is very important to have normal relationship with Iran after so many years of hostility,” he said. “I think we have to look at it in this way if America takes a hostile posture and reverses all the agreements then obviously it will open a Pandora box and could be very dangerous for regional and global peace,” warned Talat Masood. The analyst said that the European countries will definitely oppose America they may not influence the US because it has been acting unilaterally but they will advise against this move because it is not just America that had agreed to it but also the P5+1. He said Obama knows that it is his last days of tenure and he could only advise and leave all things for the next President to judge ‘but and I am sure he will strongly advise that whatever commitments have been made are in the best interest of the US and global peace and if they are reversed then there will be consequences which the US as well as the world should be prepared.’ The analyst said he doesn’t know to what extent US president-elect Donald Trump would respond to Iran nuclear agreement but he had made certain statements regarding reversing the Iranian deal, whether he will go by that, one doesn’t know. He added that there are certain areas in which Trump has changed his mind, ‘so we have to wait and see and next few weeks would be very important.’ 1378/IRNA