Al-Jazeera, Qatar, October 14
When Russia and Iran are deemed the responsible grown-ups in the room, one realizes how reckless the American administration has become. Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s combative speech last week, in which he threatened to terminate the nuclear agreement with Iran, both Moscow and Tehran were quick to announce that they will continue respecting the agreement. The new American stance is foolish, as it does nothing but isolate Washington. The implementation of the Iranian nuclear accord, signed over two years ago, has been closely monitored by the United Nations Security Council, which has confirmed the Islamic Republic’s compliance with its terms. Trump’s belligerent position puts the U.S. at odds with some of its closest allies who still support the deal, including Germany, Britain and France. The president’s statements do nothing to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions; rather, they give hardliners in Tehran carte blanche to violate the agreement while blaming America for its termination. Any statesman with even a rudimentary understanding of politics sees how Trump’s announcement is a dangerous move for the entire of the world. Washington is going down a dangerous path—not only with Iran but also with North Korea. Trump seems to lack the understanding that the U.S. cannot be run like his real estate empire. There are grave consequences to his tantrums. How horrifying it is that we now live in a world in which the Kremlin demonstrates more restraint than the White House. – Abd al-Nasser Salama