Patience Best Strategy for Iran against US at This Juncture: Finnish Ex-Minister

“Right now the only thing to do is to wait with any measures until it is known who will be the next president of the US. Patience is at this juncture the best strategy,” Tarja Cronberg told Tasnim.

Tarja Cronberg is a distinguished associate fellow at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and former chair of the European Parliament's Iran delegation. She is a Finnish Green League politician who served as a member of the European Parliament from 2011 until 2014. Cronberg was Member of the Finnish Parliament 2003–2007. She chaired her party from 2005 until 2009 and was the Minister of Labour in the Finnish government from 2007 to 2009 as part of Matti Vanhanen's second cabinet.

Following is the full text of the interview:

Tasnim: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last month that he triggered a 30-day process at the UNSC leading to the return of UN sanctions on Iran on Saturday evening that would also stop a conventional arms embargo on Tehran from expiring on Oct. 18. But 13 of the 15 Security Council members say Washington’s move is void because Pompeo used a mechanism agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which the United States quit in 2018. Washington argues it triggered the return of sanctions - known as “snapback” - because a UN resolution that enshrines the pact still names it as a participant. What would happen? How this could affect international ties?

Cronberg: The European Union has clearly expressed that it sees the US no longer as a party of the deal after the US withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018. The majority of the Security Council shares this view. It is difficult to see how the US can enforce its different interpretation.

Tasnim: So far, Europe has supported Iran but We know that it follows Washington’s lead in imposing sanctions due to economic reasons. Do you think that Iran can rely on the EU and should be satisfied by the extent of Europe’s support for the JCPOA?

Cronberg: The EU respects international agreements and has supported the JCPOA all the way. The fact that Iran is currently not in compliance with the restrictions on JCPOA makes this problematic and gives the US arguments against the deal -although we all know that the Iranian policy of “less for less” was a result of the other parties of the JCPOA not having been able to provide the sanctions relief agreed to according to the JCPOA.

Tasnim: As you know, Iran and the Iranian nation have resisted Washington’s excessive demands, managing to gain some concessions in favor of its national interests. The Islamic Republic has also paid price for this. What measures and decisions do you think Iran should adopt at this juncture?

Cronberg: Right now the only thing to do is to wait with any measures until it is known who will be the next president of the US. Patience is at this juncture the best strategy.