Europe's Nuclear Orientalism Revisited

Iran and the European 3, namely, France, Germany, and England, are reportedly set to hold another crucial meeting ahead of the August ultimatum by the latter regarding the so-called UN "snapback sanctions." The latter refers to the provisions of both the 2015 nuclear agreement and the subsequent UN Security Council resolution 2231 that permits the re-adoption of the previous 6 UN sanctions resolutions on Iran in case of a referral to UN by any of the agreement's parties complaining of Iran's non-compliance. *

 But, the problem with the EU3's ultimatum is that it ignores that both Europe and, more so the US, are in violation of the UNSC 2231, which has specific sub-sections on the various obligations of both US and Europe -- that have gone unfulfilled, notwithstanding US's unilateral exit in 2018 and Europe's failure to hold up its part of the bargain. As a result, contrary to the dictates of Resolution 2231, which is obligatory on the UN member states under Article 25 of the UN Charter, Europe and US have in effect trashed the agreement known as the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) with impunity.

 Not only that, the EU3 as well as the European Union are also guilty of skirting their obligation to abide by the IAEA statutes and various international protocols prohibiting armed strikes against active nuclear facilities. A clue to Europe's hypocrisy, shortly before the unprovoked Israel and US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, all of which were under the full-scope IAEA supervisions, the EU issued a statement denouncing Russia's threat against Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant; yet, no similar warning was ever issued against Israel and or US with respect to Iran's facilities, i.e. a clear evidence of Europe's nuclear orientalism, reflecting a neo-colonial mindset operating based on racist double standards. Thus, as a result, when Russia and China and five other nations at the IAEA condemned the unprovoked and illegal strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, they could not count on any European support. On the contrary, at the G-7 summit, the European powers reseved the right of self-defense to Israel only, legitimating Israel's naked aggression under the lame veneer of "Israel has the right to defend itself," when in fact Israel was not defending against any Iranian threat and was the clear aggressor. Again, those strikes were in clear violation, e.g., of Article 56 of the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Convention. Clearly, international law has no rightful place in the cognitive mindset of Europe's nuclear orientalism, despite the pretensions to otherwise, thus making a huge mockery of the continent's self-image as an abode of civility and other noble principles of western civilization.

 Consistent with this epistemological modus operandi, Europe's nuclear orientalism has been further manifested in the atrocious public statements of the EU3 leaders during the Israeli war of aggression against Iran, in direct violation of the UN Charter. Thus, while the 'enlightened' French President dispensed with any pretensions of neutrality and blamed the victim, i.e., Iran, and called on Iran to refrain from any escalation of conflict, without issuing the slightest criticism of Israel, the German Chancellor Merz went one step further and praised Israel for doing "dirty work for us in Iran." Such dirty mind reminiscent of Nazi Germany! And consider the fact that according to the former US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, in his interview with CNN, Iran right before the Israeli strike had been prepared to reach an agreement with European officials that would have had the Islamic Republic's enrichment at less than one percent. Of course, no mention of this fact has been made by any of the hypocritical EU leaders, who nowadays self-righteously issue ultimatum on Iran, as if they stand on the side of rule of law and international law, when in fact their behavior is both Orwellian and nuclear orientalist through and through.

 Lest we forget, these EU3 leaders who are now pressing Iran to give up its right to enrich uranium altogether are themselves under obligation under the JCPOA and Resolution 2231, which grant Iran the right to low-level enrichment up to 3.67 percent; under the terms of the JCPOA; the EU3 and other signatories to JCPOA are bound to the JCPOA for several more years. Yet, operating in a vacuum of rights and obligations, the neo-colonial EU3 leaders seemingly prefer that no one reminds them of their failed obligations under the JCPOA and 2231, looking in one direction only, as if the rule of jungle and barbarism, where might makes right, applies. This atrocious pattern of behavior is condemnable by the rest of international community, particularly the global south and its subgroups such as the Non-Aligned Movement, that ought to take a firm stand against such callous disregard for Iran's NPT right to possess a civilian nuclear fuel cycle. Lacking any legitimacy after their shameful apology for Israel's blatant aggression against Iran, the EU3 may score against Iran at the UN in the proximate future, yet the history's verdict against them shall be harsh and unforgiving.