by Stephen Lendman

The Iran nuclear deal made little difference in longstanding US/Tehran relations. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araqchi is right saying US behavior toward the Islamic Republic won't change.

It remain irresponsibly hostile. Washington tolerates no independent governments. It wants dominion over planet earth - its nations, markets, resources and populations with all challengers to its imperial project eliminated by color revolutions or war.

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter visited Israel before heading to Jordan and Saudi Arabia. He assured Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Secretary Moshe Ya'alon Washington remains firm against Iran's nonexistent "malign influence in the region."

The New York Times said he stressed the issues several times during his visit. Obama promised Israel compensation - more military aid than already, an offer Netanyahu hasn't accepted.

Doing so suggests acquiesce - quid pro quo softening on Vienna terms. He'll delay discussions until after Congress votes up or down to accept or reject them. He's loathe to turn down US aid in any form.

Expect it later this year with much more to come in a planned new 10-year package increasing annual US aid to Israel from $3.1 billion to around $4.5 billion - plus lots of additional funding for special projects and needs.

Key Israeli minister Yuval Steinitz said US aid is always welcome. At issue now is timing. "Our attitude is first to focus on the agreement" - to "fix some things," he said.

Carter warned if Washington claims Iran violated Vienna terms (on its say alone, with or without evidence), military action could follow - against a peaceful nation threatening no one with a legitimate nuclear program no different from what dozens of other countries operate, without US or Israeli criticism.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif responded saying it's "unfortunate" that US officials continue irresponsible Iran bashing - threatening "unlawful and illegitimate use of force to reach their elusive goals."

Israeli officials and commentators overwhelming oppose Vienna terms. Former Mossad head Efraim Halevy disagrees urging no lobbying to override Obama's veto if Congress rejects the deal.

Sanctions "will crumble in any case," he said. Obama would be "emasculated and humiliated (after years of hard work), whereas Israel will remain only with the independent military option" - risking embroiling the region in much greater conflict than already, including potentially on Israeli soil for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

On July 22 (from 5:30 - 7:30PM), dozens of pro-Israeli groups will hold a "Stop Iran Now Rally for Peace Through Strength for America and for Humanity" - in New York's Times Square.

Speakers in include an array of notorious Iran bashers - among them former CIA director James Woolsey, former New York Governor/presidential aspirant George Pataki, Alan Dershowitz, Fox News regular Monica Crowley, and various retired US generals and admirals.

Rally co-coordinator Jeffrey Wiesenfeld lied saying "(s)trip away the rhetoric and it's clear this deal gives Iran everything they asked for - just read what's been written in Tehran about this bad deal. Only in America are we deceiving ourselves."

Iran made far more concessions than it got back in return. The whole world knows its nuclear program is peaceful. Claims otherwise are malicious lies.

Most important is whether Washington honors negotiated terms. Its odious deal-making history gives pause for concern.

Everything can unravel any time based on baseless accusations - fabricated claims about Iran breaching agreed on terms.

How can it on an acknowledged peaceful program with no military component? Why would it do anything to suggest otherwise?

At the same time, it's helpless in the face of potential US duplicity. After 36 years of hostility, America's policy toward Iran remains unchanged.

Obama, his successor, the current or future Congress can undermine Vienna terms (a treaty involving seven countries, overriding the other six), returning things to square one, and possibly implement war plans prepared years ago attempting to return Iran to its despotic pre-revolutionary days.

In the meantime, expect no letup in Iran bashing or change in overall US/Tehran relations.

Regime change remains official US policy.

International law expert Professor Francis Boyle believes Washington will impose "snap-back" - reimposing sanctions based on likely fabricated claims of deal violations "as a cudgel to beat the Islamic Republic…into 'regime change,' which has been its objective all along."

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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