Posted on 03/16/2022 8:51:36 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
At a moment a restored JCPOA Iran nuclear deal is said to be nearing the finish line, despite recent complications involving Russia's demand of written guarantees that Ukraine-related sanctions won't hinder its trade with the Islamic Republic, the White House is poised to remove Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from the official terrorist.
Biden's potentially reversing Trump's 2019 designation of the elite Iranian military group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization is being seen as a final huge concession toward Tehran, with the immediate effect of providing energy markets relief as additional oil supplies are badly needed for Europe.
Axios' Barak Ravid reports Wednesday that "The Biden administration is considering removing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from a terror blacklist in return for a public commitment from Iran to de-escalation in the region, three Israeli officials and two U.S. sources tell me."
The same report said that Iranian leaders consider the IRGC's removal from the FTO to be a key final sticking point if a restored deal is to succeed in Vienna.
If it happens, Biden would likely come under bipartisan attack and pressure from Iran hawks - no doubt with Republicans leading the way, however. Israel too is firmly against any change in the current designation as it sees the IRGC as it's number one enemy. The past years of almost weekly Israel airstrikes on Syria are typically explained as targeting IRGC assets in Syria.
Tel Aviv has also long condemned the IRGC's links to Hezbollah - as the two have a weapons supply relationship, and in some cases it's believed IRGC operatives are on the ground training Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. The Shia military groups have also closely coordinated throughout a decade of the Syria war.
According to Axios, the Israelis are especially concerned about any plan to de-designate the IRGC as any "promises" of de-escalation would be so vague as to be moot. Per the Wednesday report:
Upon the report hitting Wednesday afternoon, it generated immediate outrage among some Western pundits, despite all eyes being on the Ukraine crisis...
So, for Biden Team, Saudi Arabia is a none-negotiable “pariah state”.. but the @Sepah_FA IRGC seems to have earned the merits to be removed from the terror list!
How many khashoggis did the IRGC kill over the years, with absolute support from @khamenei_ir and Khomeini!? — Nadim Koteich (@NadimKoteich) March 16, 2022
The State Department, meanwhile, when asked to comment on the development rejected reports of impending plans to remove the IRGC from the FTO as "speculation".
The Iranians see the IRGC as a legitimate and integral part of the country's main military branches, while over the past three years Washington has seen it as an initiator of terror plots abroad, and as a main way that Tehran has helped to prop up Assad in Syria, despite American-Gulf sponsored regime change efforts.
Soetoro and ValJar must be orgasmic!
LOL, Trump killed their leader. Biden says they are ok!
Under the bus Israel. Biden only has eyes for Ukraine. Iran is best man
What a damn fool.
I’m sure this won’t affect Israeli Prime Minister Bennett’s
judgment as he brokers a peace deal with Russia and Ukraine.
He’ll keep U.S. interests in mind as he does, right? Right?
They just shot missiles at us, but the kids are all right!
Idiots.
L
What U.S interests might that be?
Insane.
Well good! I hope he does. And maybe when I ran nukes Israel, the Jews in this country will finally get fed up with the Democratic party. Sometimes you just got to let crap happen.
Everyday brings a deeper depth of the insanity.
American Jews would still vote for Biden. 80%.
I don’t know, we’ve got to have some interests in the outcome.
Like not having the beginnings of an alliance between Ukraine and Russia?
Highly unlikely. But then again West Germany and U.S became best buddies
Trump brokered pretty good deals on America’s behalf. Biden brokers better deals for our adversaries and thinks he is doing a great job. Dunning-Kruger on full display.
It really seems Biden’s masters are desperate and going all-in on their confrontation with Russia.
They are even giving up on 40 years of confrontation with Iran
Since they don’t fly the US flag how can they be terrorists to the Biden regime?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.