Europe 'Surprised' Iran Won't Chat After Sanctions Return, Again
Iran's decision to pause nuclear talks with European powers post-sanctions is framed by mainstream media as a diplomatic hurdle. What they often omit is the historical pattern: the U.S., with European backing, withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, slapping devastating sanctions back on. (Remember, Iran was in compliance then, per the IAEA.) Expecting 'talks' to
resume without addressing the root cause—the unilateral reneging on an international agreement—is less diplomacy, more delusion. One might wonder: how many times can a global power 'leave the table' (and punish the other party for being there) before the other party stops showing up? This isn't 'Iran backtracking'; it's Iran reacting to a strategy of coercive diplomacy that has proven unreliable,
repeatedly.