As the leading enemy of the Iranian Government on the nuclear affairs, the US is now starting the first financial deals with Iran. The news of the US buying Iran’s heavy water marks a significant message to other players
The MKO’s spokesman in the US Alireza Jaffarzadeh called the US decision “another unjustified concession” and “rewarding” the Iranian government. However, certain analysts including Jay Solomon of the Wall Street Journal considers this deal “a new gambit in a growing White House effort to encourage Tehran to stick to the nuclear agreement reached last year”.[1]
The MKO’s stance is as usual shared with their republican sponsors in the US Congress. "The White House wants to ease Iran’s concerns that it is not reaping the expected economic benefits of the nuclear accord”, Jay Solomon writes. ”But its efforts to buttress the Iranian economy have ignited fresh ire among Republicans in Congress who are drafting new legislation to block any Iranian economic integration with the U.S.”. American warmongers criticized the administration for “subsidizing Tehran’s nuclear program”. [2]
What the MKO fears most is seen in this paragraph by Jay Solomon: “The purchase agreement is the latest sign of rapprochement between Washington and Tehran after decades of hostilities. As part of the nuclear accord, the U.S. and global powers lifted certain sanctions on Iran. And the U.S. Treasury in recent months granted licenses to American companies, including Boeing Co. to return to the Iranian market. “[3]
As a matter of fact, rapprochement between Tehran and Washington results in more isolation for the MKO. While the MKO propaganda do not hesitate to obstruct any agreement between Iran and the West, there is a true fact that the US actually needs Iran’s heavy water. So, the purchase agreement seems to be a mutually beneficial deal for both sides. According to the WSJ, “The U.S. doesn’t produce heavy water domestically, and largely has been purchasing the material from Canada and other foreign countries in recent years. It imports around 75 tons of heavy water annually, according to Department of Energy officials.” [4]
Besides, the director of the Press Office of US Department of State, Ms. Elizabeth Trudeau clarified for journalists in a Press Briefing on April 22, “This heavy water will fulfill a substantial portion of the U.S. domestic demand this year for industry and domestic research applications.” She added, “Our purchase of the heavy water means it will instead be used for critically important research in non-nuclear industrial requirements here in the United States.” [5]
This indicates that the Islamic Republic has officially become an exporter of heavy water to the world. Bad news for the MKO is that the two first costumers of Ian’s heavy water are two super powers, the US and Russia. “Iran is holding talks with Russia to sell it about 40 tons of heavy water from its nuclear program “, reported the Reuters. “The Russian Foreign Ministry later confirmed Moscow was considering the purchase.” [6]
As the MKO detests the notion of rapprochement between Iran and the West, the practically successful nuclear deal will make the MEK more inapt. So far, the MEK has not succeeded to impose a significant challenge to the Iran-West nuclear conflicts, but western politicians should watch the group as a nuisance in the process of reaching peace.
By :Mazda Parsi
Sources:
[1]Solomon, Jay, U.S. to Buy Material Used in Iran Nuclear Program, the Wall Street Journal, April 22, 2016
{2] ibid
[3] ibid
[4] ibid
[5] Trudeau, Elizabeth, Daily Press Briefing, US Department of State Website, April 22, 2016
[6] Reuters, Iran in talks with Russia on heavy water sales, April 25, 2016