Tag: NPT

Articles, Publications

Together, Iran and the United States can shape the Middle East’s future

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The historic deal negotiated between Iran and the P5+1 world powers will have far-reaching implications. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Middle East and indeed the world will never be the same. The peaceful resolution of what had become one of the most pressing crises of our time is a victory for the cause of stability and order in the Middle East.

As many observers have pointed out, this deal will be a major part of President Obama’s legacy. However, the reason behind its significance is not simply that it has resolved the crisis over Iran’s nuclear program, a huge achievement in its own right, but that it has opened the door for a new US approach towards the Middle East.

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“Together, Iran and the United States can shape the Middle East’s future,” Hossein Mousavian, Telegraph, July 14, 2015.

Articles, Publications

The experts assess the Iran agreement of 2015

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This roughly 100-page agreement, meticulously crafted by the tireless and sagacious diplomats of Iran and the P5+1, represents a milestone achievement in the cause of non-proliferation. This deal ensures a fully transparent Iranian nuclear program in a verifiable way, adopts new sets of measures guaranteeing there can be no diversion towards weaponization in Iran, acknowledges Iran’s right to enrich uranium on its soil for peaceful purposes, and secures the removal of the draconian sanctions regime imposed on Iran.

Furthermore, this deal serves as a model for how to address future proliferation challenges throughout the world. A template has been created for how countries can develop nuclear energy programs without eliciting concern that they may develop nuclear weapons. Several principles can be enshrined into international non-proliferation law based on this agreement, including ceasing the production of plutonium and the separation of plutonium, halting the production of highly enriched uranium, and prohibiting the stockpiling beyond peaceful domestic needs of nuclear fuel.

Broader steps that can also be taken after the implementation of this agreement include establishing a nuclear-weapons-free zone (NWFZ) in the Middle East, a longtime goal of Iran. The Middle East is already in an incredibly volatile state, and the possession of nuclear weapons by any power only serves to exacerbate instability and tension throughout the region. There is a clearly an urgent need for the establishment of a NWFZ in the Middle East, and this nuclear agreement sets a positive precedent in this regard.

This diplomatic agreement also marks a major step towards decreasing tensions and hostility between Iran and the United States. It can be used as a starting point to address other areas of conflict between the two nations, specifically on issues related to regional rivalries and security-related issues such as terrorism. Iran and the United States both stand to benefit immensely from increased cooperation with one another. By compromising on the nuclear issue, the door is opened.

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“The experts assess the Iran agreement of 2015,” Hossein Mousavian, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, July 14, 2015.

Articles, Publications

Why doesn’t Iran trust the US?

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Top-ranking diplomats from Iran and the world powers are currently engaging in intensive talks to narrow their differences and reach a comprehensive nuclear deal by July 1. The main obstacle to attaining such an agreement is the fundamental lack of trust that exists between the two sides. If there was trust, the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) would have been enough to quell any concerns regarding the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program. Currently, all sticking points are related to measures beyond the NPT. The sustainable solution is for both sides to take confidence-building measures to ease the suspicions they have of each other. While US qualms with Iran are well known in the West, it is vital for the US public to gain a better understanding of the reasons for Iranian antipathy toward the US government.

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“Why doesn’t Iran trust the US?” Hossein Mousavian, Al Monitor, June 23, 2015.

Articles, Publications

Building confidence, implications of the nuclear deal with Iran

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On April 2, 2015, Iran and the P5+1 reached a framework agreement that ensures intrusive transparency and confidence building measures on Iran’s nuclear program in return for a lifting of all nuclear-related sanctions and respecting the legitimate rights of Iran for enrichment, with continued talks until the June 30 deadline toward a comprehensive deal. This initial agreement is a positive step toward ending 12 years of contention over Iran’s nuclear program. The next few weeks will be particularly difficult, as thorny technical issues are negotiated and specific phasing out of sanctions is agreed upon. While the drama over the nuclear talks will continue for the next few weeks until the comprehensive agreement is reached and goes into effect, we have to look at the post-deal environment. This includes the implications for Iran’s nuclear program for the next ten to 25 years; confidence building and nuclear non-proliferation; and Iran’s relations with the West and the region.

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“Building confidence, implications of the nuclear deal with Iran,” Hossein Mousavian, Security Times, June 1, 2015.

Interviews

Will Nuclear Deal Boost Iran Moderates or Hard-Liners?

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“Will Nuclear Deal Boost Iran Moderates or Hard-Liners?” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, WSJ, May 28, 2015.

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Quote:

“The nuclear issue would be the first step for testing whether the engagement policy is successful. If the U.S. continues the policy of engagement rather than confrontation, you would find Iran much more flexible and much more ready to cooperate on regional issues,” said Seyed Hossein Mousavian, who headed the foreign relations committee at Iran’s National Security Council until 2005 and is now a visiting scholar at Princeton University.

“But if the West and the regional powers push for more coercion policies against Iran, this would strengthen radicalism in Iran. The equation is clear.”