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BreakthroughonIranTheHindu

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OPINIONEDITORIAL

Published:April4,201503:22IST|Updated:April4,201503:22IST
April4,2015

BreakthroughonIran
Thejointcomprehensiveplanofaction(JCPOA)onIransnuclearprogrammeannouncedbyIranandtheEU3+3(theUnitedKingdom,
France,GermanyalongwithChina,RussiaandtheUnitedStates)inLausanne,Switzerland,isasignificantbreakthroughthatwillhavelong
lastingimplicationsglobally.ThepossiblerewardforIranspromisedsteps,namelyrampingdownitsuraniumenrichmentcapabilitiesand
stockpilesofenricheduranium,reducingthenumberofcentrifuges,allowingforthoroughinspectionsbytheInternationalAtomicEnergy
Agencyandgivingupnuclearreprocessingistheliftingofthetoughsanctionsregimeagainstthecountry.Thatthe18monthlong
negotiationsbetweenthevariouspartiesfinallyborefruithadmuchtodowiththefactthatIranscurrentregimeisheadedbyapragmatistin
PresidentHassanRouhaniwhowaselectedin2013onthepremiseofbringingaboutanententewiththeWest,amongothers.The
determinationofU.S.PresidentBarackObamatoreversetherigidstanceofhismoreconservativepredecessor,GeorgeW.Bush,over
repairingtieswithIranandbringingaboutanagreementoverthelattersnuclearprogrammehadalsohelped.Mr.Obamamanagedto
overcomethestiffoppositiontothedealfromtherightwingRepublicanPartyintheU.S.,whichhadbecomepoliticallystrongeroverthe
pastyear.
IranhasalwaysmaintainedthatitsnuclearprogrammewasmeantonlyforpeacefulpurposesandthatasasignatorytotheNuclearNon
ProliferationTreaty,itwasentitledtoenrichmentofuraniumforenergygeneration.ButtheunrelentingpressurefromtheWestinthepast
decade,includingrecurringtalkofopenhostilityfromtheU.S.andIsrael,hadledtodefiancefromtheMahmoudAhmadinejadledregime.
Iranwentontoexpanditsnuclearprogrammebyfurtheringenrichmentcapabilitiesandbuildingclandestinenuclearfacilities.Theseactions
hadinvitedsanctionsfromnotonlytheU.S.andtheEU,buttheUNaswell,whichhadhurtIraneconomicallyandalsomadeitdifficultfor
countriessuchasIndiatoengageintradewiththecountry.IndiasimportsfromIranparticularlypetroleumproductshadbeenseverely
curtailedduetothesanctions.ThenuclearagreementwithIranshouldalsohelpeasethelongstandinghostiletiesbetweentheU.S.andIran
eventuallyhelpingtochangeatleastsomeequationsintheconflictriddenWestAsianregion.CanIranschangedrelationshipwiththeU.S.
persuadeSaudiArabiaandotherArabcountriestobringahalttotheSunniShiahostilitiesthathavethreatenedtodestabilisetheregion?
Thepossibilitiesfollowingthisbreakthroughareindeedhigh.
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