Iran’s nuclear deal: miracle or just a time break?

Abstract

For years there have been multiple rounds of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme between Iran and the so-called P5+1 – the UN Security Council permanent members, the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany; yet, the two sides always failed to reach a deal. Surprisingly though, on January 12th, 2014, less than two months after the election of Hassan Rouhani as President of Iran, the six world powers reached an interim agreement with Iran on the framework for a long-lasting solution over Iran’s nuclear programme. However, whilst the deal has been welcomed by many as an important step towards the normalization of Iran’s relations with the West, it has been sharply criticised by others as a disastrous error of diplomacy. In particular, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and the American President Barack Obama welcomed the deal as a success. Yet, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “historical mistake” that makes the world a much more dangerous place to live in. For Israel, the deal is a historical mistake because it may mark the end of American involvement in the region. Such a development can shift the balance of power in the region to Israel’s loss, reducing Israel’s manoeuvrability and the usefulness of its own protection by the West.