Need to protect negotiation process
By Abbas Akhoundi
Former Iranian minister of Roads, Urban Development
Now is a suitable time to end tensions or at least manage the conflict between the United States and Iran — provided that both sides protect the negotiation process. This is because there are saboteurs on both sides. These two countries, as members of the United Nations, recognize each other, yet for 46 years, their relations have been in a state of conflict.
In my opinion, after more than four decades, the time has come to manage and move on from this conflict. The United States has realized that the various threats and measures it has employed against Iran so far have not inflicted existential damage on the Islamic Republic, and Iran has been able to carry on with its progress. Iran, too, has understood that by picking a fight with the United States, which plays an influential role in global politics, it cannot push forward its own objectives.
The key point is that, beyond Iran and the United States, the world currently has no appetite for war and wants both sides to put an end to these conflicts. This has created an opportunity that increases the likelihood of the negotiations succeeding.
If we compare the current situation with the time of the JCPOA negotiations, we see that back then, some regional countries went all out to block an agreement and prevent the JCPOA’s success.
But now, no country in the region wants these two nations to fail to reach an agreement. Even the United Arab Emirates, which is considered a strategic ally of the Israeli regime, as well as Saudi Arabia, wants Iran and the US to come to an agreement.
This indicates that regional countries see their own interests in ending — or at least managing — the conflicts between Iran and the United States.
China, as a major global power, also cares about regional security given its interests in global supply chain stability and the region’s importance in terms of energy supply, consumer markets, and its role in global transportation. So, China also wants these negotiations to succeed. Russia, too, may play a constructive role in facilitating the talks.
The European Union, despite its dissatisfaction with Iran, does not seem inclined to keep up conflicts in the region. In fact, we are at a point where all regional and global powers agree that the conflict between the US and Iran should be handled and brought to an end.
On the other hand, if we look at US demands, its current demands are in no way comparable to those put forward by Pompeo in the previous administration. Now, the focus is solely on reaching a nuclear agreement, not the complex and extensive conditions of the past.
Thus, we are at a unique historical juncture and must make the most of this opportunity. This does not mean being naive. Rather, we must carefully watch out for spoilers, both domestic and foreign, on both sides. Negotiations of this complexity, after 46 years of conflict, will undoubtedly face many difficulties and go through numerous ups and downs.
The negotiations will not be short-term and, given the sensitivity of the issue and its long history, will take time. Moreover, negotiating with the US, due to the complexity and chronic nature of the discussions, will naturally require a lengthy process.
Right now, protecting the very essence of the negotiations is as important as their content. The actions of actors opposed to an agreement must be put under the microscope by political activists in Iran and worldwide.
Globally, the Israeli regime stands to gain nothing from the success of these talks and will try its hardest to create obstacles. Within the US, the Israel lobby and sanctions profiteers will keep up their negative efforts. In Iran, too, certain groups whose interests lie in the continuation of sanctions oppose the success of these negotiations. Nevertheless, taking a broad view, the conditions for negotiations are in place, and we must capitalize on the global and domestic consensus — excluding sanctions profiteers.