US President Donald Trump has signed into law a bill endorsed by Congress that imposes new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea. It is expected that the embargo will further deteriorate the already tense ties between Washington and Moscow. Tehran has underlined that it will not stand silent in the face of US illegal sanctions. To discuss the issue, Press TV has asked Adam Garrie, managing editor of theduran.com from London, and Frederick Peterson, a congressional defense policy adviser from New York, to give their thoughts.
Garrie said US officials are using the sanctions regime to avoid the rise of independent countries such as Russia, China and Iran, because they are afraid of falling behind the new world order.
“The new world order is coming from China” and is flowing out through South Asia, Southeast Asia into the Middle East, Africa and even into Europe and that is what America is really worried about, the commentator said on Thursday night.
The US is concerned that “the One Belt One Road [Initiative] is going to unite many many nations,” some of which were left behind the great wave of the 20th century American prosperity that is now nearing its end, he explained.
“They (the Americans) are worried that when the new bipolar world becomes more focused on the east and the south ... America and its traditional allies are going to be left behind,” he argued.
According to Garrie, America cannot control the world and US authorities are really worried about the expansion of ties and cooperation among independent states, which are not under the US influence.
He further pointed to protests from the United States' own allies against the unilateral sanctions policy, saying that America’s European allies “are staunchly opposed to these sanctions.”
On Wednesday, the European Union warned that it would retaliate within days if the US’s unilateral sanctions against Russia hurt the bloc.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in a statement that “the US bill could have unintended effects that impact the EU’s energy security interests.”
The EU has times and again called on the US administration to abide by its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers.
Peterson, the other contributor on the show, claimed that Iran’s missile program was “destabilizing” not only for the Middle East but for the world.
He also put the blame of regional rivalry on Iranian military activities, adding, “It is a very very dangerous game.”
The Islamic Republic has repeatedly announced that it is advancing its missile technology for defensive purposes.
Elsewhere, the analyst called on Iran and the US to reach out and find “common values,” which could be beneficial for both sides.