Bill Richardson: Iran’s Internal Behavior Not Changing Since Nuke Deal, Relations Won’t Improve In Short Run

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” former Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM) stated that while he still believes the Iran nuclear deal was a good thing, “Iran’s behavior is not changing internally” and “a betterment of relations in the short run” is “not going to happen.”

Richardson said, “[T]he impression was that after the Iran nuclear deal with the US that things would get better, but Iran’s behavior is not changing internally. There’s enormous pressure by the Revolutionary Guard that is against the nuclear agreement. There’s this anti-US sentiment. Recently, Americans who were damaged in an accident can sue Iran, and this is into Iran’s assets. The troops that Iran has in Syria are probably going to increase, working against us. So, there’s still this tension. I still think the nuclear deal was good, but anyone that expects a betterment of relations in the short run, it’s not going to happen.”

He added that the US’ Gulf allies “saw the Iran deal as shifting a little bit in terms of where America wanted to go. And so there’s this tension in the region that still exists. But I think the Saudis and the United States are going to continue — that relationship, on energy, we have four military bases there, is going to continue, but it’s been fraying. They’re doubting our commitment to the region.”

(h/t Washington Free Beacon)

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