Stephen Lendman

America’s history shows trustworthiness isn’t its long suit, treaties and other deals agreed to systematically violated - culpability ignored or counterparties wrongfully blamed for its breaches.

After last year’s nuclear deal was consummated, Obama lied, saying “(h)istory shows that America must lead not just with our might, but with our principles. It shows we are stronger not when we are alone, but when we bring the world together.”

According to a complaint filed last August with the IAEA, Iran said Washington breached nuclear deal principles straightaway - three days after the deal was reached.

At the time, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said “(t)he military option…remain(s) on the table…enhanced because we’ve been spending (past) years gathering significantly more (intelligence) about Iran’s nuclear program.”

Tehran said this threat to use military force preemptively without just cause constitutes a “material breach of the commitments just undertaken.”

The agreement was never meant to be a vehicle to facilitate US spying on the Islamic Republic.

Iran “(r)ecall(ed) past instances, in which highly confidential information provided by the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Agency inspectors had been leaked, posing a grave threat to the national security of Iran…it is absolutely essential and imperative for the Agency to take immediate and urgent action to reject such flagrant abuses,” a statement said.

Washington used the nuclear deal to justify expanding its regional military footprint, increase aid to Israel and sell billions of dollars more weapons to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

On Friday, Iranian central bank head Valiollah Seif accused US-led Western countries of locking Tehran out of the international financial system, another flagrant deal breach with likely more coming.

According to Seif, Western nuclear deal counterparties have done “almost nothing” to live up to provisions agreed on.

“(W)e are not able to use our frozen funds abroad.” Unless resolved, the deal “breaks up on its own terms,” he said without further elaboration.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest lied, claiming “(t)he United States, along with the rest of the international community, is committed to living up to our end of the bargain” - at the same time saying Washington has no intention of giving Tehran access to America’s financial system.

State Department spokesman admiral John Kirby compounded the Big Lie, claiming Washington fulfilled its part of the deal.

“There is no need to do more when we have met all of our commitments,” he disingenuously claimed.

It’s well known Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful with no military component and no known intention to have one.

Washington’s concerns otherwise were and remain red herring cover for its real aim - regime change, replacing Iran’s sovereign independence with puppet governance it controls.

Longstanding US hostility persists. Normalization remains unattainable as long as neocons infesting Washington, Israel and AIPAC reject it.

-###-

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.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs