Global Geopolitical Series: Iran set to test U.S. resolve by breaching JCPoA

Iran has finally announced that it is now officially in breach of the terms laid out in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) as the Para 36 of the agreement failed to provide a resolution for the Iran’s dispute with the United States, which after exiting the agreement has once again imposed sanctions (a much tougher ones than the last time) on Iran, its oil exports and top government officials.

While Iran announced that it is now officially in breach of the stockpile limit prescribed under the JCPoA, Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif pointed out n Twitter that despite the stockpile increase, Iran is not in breach of the agreement as Para 36 allows Iran to take up steps defying the prescriptions in the agreement as the agreement partners including the European Union failed to protect Iran’s economic gains from the agreement amid U.S. sanctions.

Last month, Iran downed an American spy drone, which was almost certain to have a military action on Iran by the United States, however, President Trump called off the retaliation as a U.S. attack would have killed at least 150 Iranians in response the downing of the drone which was unmanned. Iran claimed that the drone has breached its territory while the U.S. insists that the incident had taken place in international waters.

Some analysts believe that with that attack on Drone, Iran was testing the U.S. resolve to counter Iran and the country is at it again by announcing the breach publicly.

However, the United States has taken the ‘patience’ approach while countering Iran, as the sanctions continue to hurt Iran’s economy badly. According to latest numbers from the Middle East, Iran’s oil exports have now declined to less than a half a million barrel in June 2019, compared to 2.5 million barrels in April 2018.

Iran is likely to keep on testing the U.S. resolve to counter Iran’s nuclear program by breaching terms of JCPoA.