Deal could open ...
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Under President Joe Biden, Iran held productive talks, and by early 2021 everything was set to sign off on reviving the tattered nuclear deal. But some inside Iran threw a wrench into the process. Then-president Hassan Rouhani had hoped the next Iranian government would see the agreement over the finish line, yet what is often described as the “hidden government” blocked it. The same faction is now trying to trip up President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government to fail.
The ongoing talks between Iran and the United States are, in essence, a continuation of the negotiations to resuscitate the 2015 nuclear deal. Diplomacy and dialogue are meant to prevent mass bloodshed, destruction and conflict. In war, no one truly comes out as winner. Europe would bear the brunt of the fallout, as a conflict with Iran would trigger an oil price shock.
If the US is now eyeing war, it may have its sights set on Iran’s oil and gas reserves and its lithium deposits. The US is pursuing oil and gas and, more importantly, lithium resources. If it spends on war, it will seek to recoup the cost from Iran’s oil, gas and lithium.
Negotiation and diplomacy are essential, but they should not pave the way for monopoly control by either the United States or the Eastern bloc.
This article first appeared in Persian on ILNA.