JERUSALEM, Israel – After months of negotiations, the Iranian nuclear deal remains on hold apparently over one key sticking point. The US and Iran are at a deadlock over removing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list.
“The IRGC has American blood on its hands and there’s no good reason for the United States to even consider lifting this FTO designation,” said Middle East Expert Ellie Cohanim.
Cohanim told CBN News bipartisan support on Capitol Hill is building to keep that designation in place.
“You’re hearing from many both Democrat and Republican members of Congress who have voiced to the Biden Administration that there is no good reason to lift that FTO designation,” said Cohanim.
Even if that stipulation remains and the deal is signed, concern is growing that it will pave the way for nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
“The Saudis already have agreements with the Pakistanis. They funded the Pakistani nuclear project and they are ready to procure a nuclear weapon. The moment this agreement is signed and they understand that Iran is moving towards nuclear capabilities…what we will see is [the] proliferation of nuclear capabilities all over the Middle East,” said Amir Avivi of Israel’s Defense and Security Forum
Avivi also told CBN News the agreement would have global implications.
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“This is not talking about a threat in the Middle East. This is the whole new globe. It’s a whole new world. It’s the threat for humanity. And that’s why I cannot understand why the European Union and this current US government is pushing towards enabling this vicious regime who calls America the” Big Satan” and calls Israel, the “Little Satan”, let them have nuclear capabilities,” said Avivi.
As it stands, the nuclear agreement also promises sanctions relief that would release nearly $100 billion to the Iranian regime in exchange for strict limits on Iran’s nuclear activity. Avivi and others believe the money would not only fund Iranian partners in the region like Hezbollah, it could reach allies closer to the US like Venezuela, which Avivi calls Iran’s Cuba.
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