Time to ‘strike ...
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Even the US, the top economic powerhouse, is pursuing a trillion-dollar investment from Saudi Arabia. Therefore, Iran is no exception especially given the fact that its infrastructure is aging because of sanctions that have discouraged investment.
Trump might be aiming for an agreement that also benefits the US economically. During his first term, he joked that France had a right to oppose US sanctions on Iran since its carmakers had invested in Iran. He repeatedly labeled the JCPOA as a “bad deal” and once came clean it did not have economic perks for the US.
It is no secret that Iran requires hundreds of billions of dollars in investment for its economic sectors. For instance, the oil industry alone needs over $200 billion, according to officials, and attracting such financing under sanctions sounds like a mission impossible.
Another positive signal being sent from Trump 2.0 is that he seems to be sidelining hardliners. He recently launched a scathing attack on his former national security advisor John Bolton, calling him a “dumb.” Bolton was the same hawk who advocated striking Iran in a 2015 opinion published in the New York Times titled “To Stop Iran’s Bomb, Bomb Iran.”
Brian Hook, one of the architects of the previous administration’s sanctions regime on Iran, was fired on Trump’s first day in office. Mike Pompeo, the former hawkish secretary of state, failed to make his way into the new administration.
Last but not least, Trump does not have a regime change policy on Iran as he said mid-October.
“We can’t get totally involved in all that. We can’t run ourselves, let’s face it,” Trump said at the time.
Contrary to expectations, Trump is currently talking about a deal instead of threatening Iran.
A window of opportunity has opened for Tehran and Washington to iron out some of their differences. But both sides should be realistic. A comprehensive agreement between Iran and the US is just wishful thinking. However, hardliners on both sides should not be allowed to scuttle a deal on a stumbling block that safeguards Iran’s rights.
This might be the last chance to bring Iran fully back into global trade, so it is crucial to ‘strike while the iron is hot’ for the good of Iran’s national interests and its resilient people.