Ex-UN Expert Says US Totally Lacking In Good Faith Regarding Iran 'Illegal' Sanctions

LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th June, 2019) Alfred-Maurice de Zayas, a former UN Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order, told Sputnik on Tuesday that renewed US sanctions against Iran were illegal, adding that the United States was "totally lacking" in good faith when it came to negotiations on the Iran nuclear issue.

The United States imposed additional sanctions on Iran on Monday, this time targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in response to last week's downing of a US drone in what Washington claims was over international waters.

"The sanctions against Iran are not only illegal, they are unwise and ultimately will prove ineffective ... The path of diplomacy is open. But diplomacy rests on good faith, and it is totally lacking on the US side. politics, after all, is the art of deception and self-deception and [National Security Adviser] John Bolton, [State Secretary] Mike Pompeo, [President] Donald Trump do not want to talk, only bully. It is remarkably inept," de Zayas said.

Speaking about Trump's reasons for aborting air strikes on Iran after the incident with the US drone, the expert said that Trump bluffed in his concerns over a potential loss of lives.

"Don't believe it [Trump's claims] for a minute. Trump is a bluffer - but someone might call his bluff. Not necessarily Iran - it could be China. Of course Iran can do a lot of damage to US interests, but Iran just wants to be respected and treated like any other state," de Zayas argued.

The expert pointed out that Trump had repeatedly claimed, as part of his election campaign, that he did not want to continue the military "mistakes" of his predecessors, a fact now arguably under some doubt.

"During the electoral campaign he also promised not to repeat the mistakes of [former US president] George W. Bush and [former President Barack] Obama ... and not get embroiled in military adventures. Instead, the drums of war resound � the language of reason is denigrated as 'unpatriotic' � exactly what the military-industrial complex and other war profiteers want," he argued.

De Zayas also said that the recent incidents in the Strait of Hormuz � where multiple oil tankers appear to have been damaged in operations that both Washington and London blamed on Iran � were unlikely to have been carried out under Tehran's orders, arguing that Iran had little to gain by such a dramatic course of action.

"Of course Iran has nothing to gain, and I would doubt it very much that Iran is responsible for the incidents," he said.

The security situation in the middle East has been steadily declining since early May, when the United States started building up its military presence in the region in what Bolton called a clear message to Iran. According to the Pentagon, an aircraft carrier strike group, Patriot missiles, B-52 bombers and F-15 fighters were deployed to the region.

In addition, the USS Mason destroyer was ordered to the region earlier in June in the wake of an attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz. While the causes of the incident remain unknown, the United States claimed that Iran had sabotaged the vessels. The US military subsequently released a video showing alleged Iranian forces removing an unexploded mine from one of the tankers. The footage, however, did not show any boat Names or flags that could help substantiate the claims. Iran has denied all accusations.�