Western nations led by the US, have for long objected to the Middle Eastern country's efforts to develop nuclear weapons.
The country has faced sanctions for many years imposed from the Western allies, in an effort to deter Iran from developing such weaponry. These sanctions have had a devastating effect to the nation's economy, with unemployment running up to 24%, according to recent statistics.
But they did not harm only Iran's economy, since as the country is one of the leading oil producers in the world, being unable to increase its oil exports because of the Western sanctions, the global oil prices were affected too.
It is clear then that the sanctions imposed by the US and their Western allies, were never just because of Iran's nuclear ambitions. A new nuclear power in an unstable region is indeed a very worrying development, but this alone does not justify decades of economic sanctions.
Let us not forget that both India and Pakistan, possess nuclear weaponry despite having very volatile relations. And it is very peculiar that nations which themselves own nuclear weapons like the US and its allies, think that they can tell others not to develop them.
Nuclear power and weaponry is being treated as a commodity for elite countries, used to impose their will and interests upon non elite nations. If we would like to be fair, then no nation should own or be allowed to develop them.
But that was never on the global elite's agenda. They use their global status as economic powers, to refrain other nations that they consider as outsiders and dissident, from entering their club of developed and prosperous nations, that lead all economic, industrial and scientific developments in this world.
In reality, they do not want an Islamic, conservative and anti-West nation to develop in any of the above spheres of development. Such case would hurt the idea that our elites tried to impose on us, that a country with everything that Iran represents, can not be rich, developed and progressive but only liberal Western societies fit the bill to do so.
The notion that Iran is a threat to the West is nonsensical, as we are the ones who are acting as the aggressors. We are imposing economic sanctions that impoverish the Iranian people and keep them from long term prosperity, in fear that if they become a nuclear power they will be a threat to our security.
The only threat that they will become, is to the status quo in the Middle East region, that we and other global players like Russia and China, have direct interests in. And so we step up to stop them.
The agreement that took place in Geneva last week, between Iran and the six powers of Russia, China, USA, France, Britain and the EU, is indeed a good deal as many have already claimed. Because hopefully the West has finally realized, that sanctions and isolation do not help to end a dispute.
If the West wanted to change Iran, then a different approach should have been more preferable. But because the Middle East is a battleground for strong interests both for local and global players, such reasonable approach was not taken.
The US simply wants to control the oil production and prices, as its economy is based on this commodity. Some countries in the Middle East share America's interests and benefit from the current status, while others do not. It is unacceptable that nations can or can not prosper, depending on which side of the alliance they lie.
Of course not everybody was happy about the deal. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was very critical of it, declaring is as a "historic mistake". But we are so used to witness a continuous intransigence by himself and his government, when his country's interests are concerned.
Such attitudes do not help to solve an issue and if the West or indeed Israel want to reach an agreement with Iran and end the decades long dispute, they must understand that diplomacy is the key and compromises from both sides must take place.
Forbidding the aspirations of a nation for prosperity and development just because they hurt your interests is not democratic and if we want to put it bluntly is an act of aggression. If we want the Iranians to cooperate, then we must also show signs of trust and good will.
Our opposition and concerns should only come in relation to the development of nuclear weapons, not the use of nuclear power in general that Iran, like any other nation has every right to consider for the benefit of its economy and citizens.Since the Iranians are willing to cooperate, why not give them a chance?
Hopefully this agreement will mark the beginning of a new era between Iran and the West relations and help ease the tensions in the Middle East, rid of all the old rigid approach coming from both sides.
