After 36 years of tensions and 18 months of tough talks the US and Iran, supported by the UK, France Germany, China and Russia, have reached an historic framework agreement - to be finalised by June 30 - on Iran's nuclear programme. From both sides' perspective it is a good deal as it meets their principal objectives for the next 15 years. In return of lifting of international sanctions, Iran is to fulfil various conditions, such as that it would reduce by two-thirds its installed centrifuges - used for uranium enrichment - also decrease its current stockpile of low enriched uranium; and place all excess centrifuges and enrichment infrastructure in IAEA-monitored storage to be used only as replacements for operating centrifuges and equipment. As an assurance against use of a different path than uranium enrichment to build a weapon, Iran is to redesign its heavy water reactor in Arak so that it cannot produce weapons-grade plutonium. All facilities are to remain open to IAEA inspections at all times. These and other agreed parameters are to plug every possible gap to prevent any material from being channelized into a secret programme. If Iran is seen to be violating terms of the agreement at any point, sanctions would go back into effect.
Yet Iran can claim, as Foreign Minister Javad Zarif did, to have reached the agreement on the basis of mutual respect and dignity, without compromising on its right to a peaceful nuclear programme. It will still enrich uranium on its own soil - contrary to a previous proposal that a Nuclear Supplier Group country do that for it - though not over 3.67 percent for the next 15 years. No one knows what the world would look like after 15 years while the immediate benefits are tangible and enormous. Lifting of the sanctions will end the country's political isolation and unfreeze assets. After the final agreement is signed in another three months time the US is to release - a small amount was released last year after the sixth round of talks - all of $11.9 billion in frozen assets. There is a lot more money sitting in other Western bank accounts. Breaking out of isolation, of course, will also unlock Iran's huge economic potential, and bring it back into the international arena as one of the major oil producers. It would be eager to take a seat at the OPEC as its second most important member after Saudi Arabia.
Considering the bitter recent history between the US and Iran, and the Israeli factor as well as US's Arab allies' unease with Iran's growing influence in the region, the two countries are expected to continue to have turbulent relations for the foreseeable future. Normalisation with Iran, nonetheless, promises to become an important Obama legacy. Had he not displayed courage and foresight in his approach to Iran, like Nixon's historic reaching out to China, Tehran would have gone on to make the bomb despite sanctions. As Pakistan's example shows punitive measures alone do not deter proud nations from pursuing what they deem in their best interest. Obama's strategy was to increase the pain of different layers of the US, EU and UN sanctions yet offer Iran a dignified way to settle the issue in accord with its stated position that all it wanted was assertion of its right as an NPT signatory to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Presidential election activity having already started in the US, prominent Republican Party leaders, in their eagerness to curry favour with the powerful Jewish lobby, have criticised the agreement. The US House Speaker, John Boehner, who in a recent protocol breach invited Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress, while condemning the framework deal has said the Congress should review it before sanctions are lifted. As long as Iran continues to abide by the agreed conditions and the other members of the negotiators group stay committed to the deal, it won't be easy for US legislators to override an international agreement.