“Nuclear deal with Iran gets closer as Netanyahu comes to Washington,” interview with Hossein Mousavian, Carol Morello, Washington Post, February 27, 2015.
Tag: Iran
US-Iran Relations (Audio)
“US-Iran Relations,” World Affairs Council of Hilton Head, February 20, 2015. (Audio)
Would Iran deal set new nuclear proliferation standard?
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, arrived in Geneva Feb. 21 to hold bilateral meetings with US Secretary of State John Kerry and US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. Hossein Fereydoun, President Hassan Rouhani’s senior adviser, is also accompanying the Iranian negotiation team to facilitate consultations and coordination. This is the highest level of talks between Iran and the United States since the 1979 revolution. The nuclear talks between Iran and the world powers are at a most critical moment — and in their final phase — and the chance for a final deal is likely more than 50%.
Recently, Henry Kissinger, the former US secretary of state and national security adviser whose knowledge of national security matters is often viewed as paramount in certain Washington circles, has attempted to cast unwarranted criticism on efforts to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the Iranian nuclear dispute. “The impact of this approach will be to move from preventing proliferation to managing it,” Kissinger said of the ongoing diplomatic efforts. “And if the other countries in the region conclude that America has approved the development of an enrichment capability within one year of a nuclear weapon, and if they then insist on building the same capability, we will live in a proliferated world in which everybody — even if that agreement is maintained — will be very close to the trigger point.”
Kissinger’s assessment reflects a beleaguered understanding of the current status of the nuclear negotiations and the history of Iran’s nuclear program, as well as the realities of the current international system in regard to nuclear proliferation.
The key to understanding the nuclear proliferation issue is to have a firm grasp of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) that has as its goal reducing the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, as well as nuclear weapons disarmament on behalf of the nuclear weapons powers.
Over the years, many nations signatory to the treaty, on both sides of the nuclear weapons divide, have been in technical violation of their obligations under the NPT. There have been at least five states — Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, South Korea and Taiwan — that have engaged in clandestine nuclear programs without notifying the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The nuclear weapons states, too, have oftentimes been negligent in their obligation to dismantle their nuclear weapons and in many cases have actually upgraded their warheads and increased their number. In the case of Iran, there has also arguably been a significant double standard.
“Would Iran deal set new nuclear proliferation standard?” Hossein Mousavian, Al Monitor, February 22, 2015.
36 years after the revolution, where is Iran now?
The Iranian nation toppled the US-backed Pahlavi regime in 1979, ending virtually 2,500 years of monarchical rule, and will see nationwide rallies on Feb. 11, the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. In the 36 years since mass protests deposed the monarchy in Iran, the country has struggled with immense challenges. After the Islamic Republic’s establishment by way of a popular referendum, Iran endured a period of chaotic instability, with various armed factions seeking to undermine the nascent government.
Yet, despite all of these crises, Iran has persevered. It emerged from the Iran-Iraq War without giving up an inch of its soil in spite of the all-out support given to the aggressor by the superpowers and even regional Arab countries. It also did this without resorting to the use of chemical weapons, even as it had the capability to do so, as the country is signatory to all weapons of mass destruction conventions. Iran has since managed to become one of the rare countries able to maintain its political-security independence and foster an atmosphere of socio-economic self-reliance in a nation that was once so incredibly dependent on outside powers.
“36 years after the revolution, where is Iran now?” Hossein Mousavian, Al Monitor, February 11, 2015.
Matrix of US-Iran nuclear negotiations
“Matrix of US-Iran nuclear negotiations,” Hossein Mousavian, Gulf News, January 30, 2015.
Walking the Iran Tightrope
“Walking the Iran Tightrope.” Presentation at Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations, January 26, 2015. (Audio)
Media Coverage: “Walking the Iran Tightrope,” Christine Parrish, The Free Press, February 5, 2015.
Weighing risks and benefits of making a deal with Iran
“Weighing risks and benefits of making a deal with Iran,” interview with Hossein Mousavian, Judy Woodruff, PBS News Hour, January 29, 2015. (Video)
Is it time to open the door to better relations with Iran?
“Is it time to open the door to better relations with Iran?” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, Judy Woodruff, PBS News Hour, January 28, 2015. (Video)
Parl. Speaker warns US against new sanctions against Tehran (Video)
“Parl. Speaker warns US against new sanctions against Tehran,” interview with Hossein Mousavian, PressTV, January 24, 2015. (Video)
What’s holding up Iran nuclear deal?
A diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue — the sooner the better — will remove the threat of any future military conflagration in the Middle East, already in tumult with the ongoing ugly violence in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. An ultimate failure of the nuclear negotiations, whether torpedoed by the Israel-US Congress joint effort or other naysayers, would play in the hands of certain quarters in Iran to push for withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty — an eventuality that I presume few people would like to face after the North Korean affair.
With the stakes as high as they are, both with the nuclear dossier and the situation in the region, it is incumbent on the US Congress to act in a way to give diplomacy a real chance and regional stability a real boost. The bottom line is clear: Both sides need each other. The United States without Iran would continue to see its problems in the region remain unresolved or even aggravated, and Iran without the United States would continue to suffer in other ways.
“What’s holding up Iran nuclear deal?” Hossein Mousavian, Al Monitor, January 7, 2015.
