Originally published on the CGS blog on December 3, 2014.
For the past couple of months, negotiations have been taking place between the West and Iran on Iran’s nuclear program. These negotiations have serious implications that are critical to fostering a lasting peace in the region and preventing further conflict. Despite the goals these negotiations aim to accomplish, a deal between these two conflicting sides has not been reached and has instead been pushed back for another seven months.
These talks serve to illustrate the importance of using diplomacy in solving the crisis of nuclear proliferation rather than aggressive action. Ever since the Joint Plan of Action deal was reached last year in Geneva, Iran has opened up its willingness to negotiate, and progress has been made on the handling of Iran’s nuclear program.
The negotiations that the two sides aim to accomplish are based on Iran’s easing its nuclear enrichment program and the West’s lifting its sanctions against Iran. The duration of such agreements are also in question. Many in the West and in the vicinity of Iran would argue that a short deal would do little to hamper Iran’s capabilities and would not solve the crisis. Nations such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, key US allies in the region, fear a nuclear Iran. Back when former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was president of Iran, he advocated for the destruction and annihilation of Israel. Such statements foster fear that a nuclear-armed Iran would cause conflict and push for other nations in the region to invest in nuclear technology.
The new extension that the West and Iran decided on calls for a solution by March 1, 2015 and an agreement by July 1, 2015. Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond of the United Kingdom said that although a deal wasn’t reached, “we are all clear that enough progress has been made that maintaining the current momentum, and keeping working at it, does give us the prospect of getting to a deal.” Such optimism highlights the seriousness of the negotiations and shows that both sides are considering this an opportunity to restore order and curb nuclear proliferation.
In sum, the nuclear talks between the West and Iran highlight the importance of diplomacy over force in restoring peace. While the West aims to deter Iran from getting nuclear weapons, Iran hope to lift sanctions from the West to boost its economy. It is critical that a negotiation be reached to allow for greater peace and economic cooperation, leading to investments, jobs, and potentially a new diplomatic relationship between the United States and Iran.
