Critics of Interaction Will Not Succeed
Based on the statements made by Iran’s Foreign Ministry, members of the P5+1 have reiterated the implementation of the Geneva Agreement from January 20th. What impacts would this measure have on the trend of the politics of the conservative group in the US and those representatives who attempt to impose new sanctions against Iran?
Just as there are two parties in the US, each of which attempts to receive the credit for resolving international crises, there is the same situation in Iran as well. In Iran, those who made efforts to solve this crisis during the presidency of Mr. Ahmadinejad now talk against this agreement. The same is true in the US administration as there were many people during the Bush presidency who talked about attacking Iran but they, and even Mr. Bush himself, were willing to have secret talks with Iran. But it is important to note that the presence of Hassan Rohani as the head of the administration of prudence and hope and his message of a policy of interaction with the international community has closed the path of any confrontation. The Geneva Agreement is a very positive concession. The results of the recent poll taken in the US with regard to Iran are different from the last one. I believe that there has been a good start and the government will certainly have the same view about it. The nuclear policy of the Islamic Republic is approved by the Leader and the parliament must cooperate with the government to solve this problem. The other point is that our whole economy is affected by our foreign policy. If we intend to have the support of the people, we must take steps to remove their problems. The beginning of all of these steps was the nuclear negotiations. With regard to the US, I must say that the new sanctions have been received by the Senate for voting and the US President has also talked about his right to veto. At the same time, the Zionist lobbies should not be ignored. Although there are only 3% Zionist lobbies, they are very effective. But the main decision-maker in the US foreign policy is the administration and President Obama himself. The invitation made by John Kerry for Iran’s presence in Geneva-2 shows the US’ interest in Iran’s presence in this conference. This indicates that the diplomacy of the right wing and the Republicans’ Enterprise Institute will not succeed in the US’ foreign policy at the present time.
Can it be said that the determination of the date for implementation of the Geneva Agreement is the winning card for Obama against the US representatives and senators who are in favor of the intensification of sanctions?
Yes. It must be mentioned that the US is a country which gives lots of importance to its media diplomacy and the direction of public opinion. If you remember, Dick Cheney, the former US Secretary of Defense, stated in a press conference following his dismissal that, “I was not defeated in the war in Iraq. I was defeated in directing the public opinion of the US.” What is stated today as US policy by the Obama administration and the President himself is approved by the people of the US. Therefore, I believe that the Republicans will certainly cooperate with the policies of the US administration with regard to Iran. This is a reality that will always remain a priority so long as Obama is the US president.
Will the US Congress speed up the adoption of new sanctions against Iran after the determination of the date for implementation of the Geneva Agreement?
If the number of senators goes beyond 67, then the president will not have the right to veto. But it has not reached this number yet. It seems impossible that they will pursue this path. Of course there are numerous radical movements in this regard. There are 10 senators in the US Senate who are very effective. The presented theory which is presented by the Senate is based on some statements made inside Iran. When a parliament representative questions the entire agreement, many of the politicians inside the US Congress make theories out of the same statements. When Mr. Rahimi, the First Deputy of Mr. Ahmadinejad, stated that Peugeot in Iran will be damaged by these sanctions, this statement became a basis for members of Congress to impose sanctions on automobiles.
There have been reports during the past few days based on the exchange of oil for goods between Iran and Russia. At the same time, the Obama administration expressed concern on Monday about the reports based on Iran-Russia bilateral negotiations to exchange oil for goods. Will this measure damage the trend of the implementation of the Geneva Agreement?
Absolutely not, because this is not within the same framework. The exchange of oil for goods was designed by the UN for us. But I believe that the Russian politicians cannot be trusted. The Russians have, for many years, played our card against the US and received numerous concessions. Certainly if the US exerts pressure on Russia, it will cancel this agreement as well. Didn’t the same thing happen with regard to the S-300 missiles? The trend of negotiations has found its path and I am certain that good days are ahead of us. Many of the officials of the Arab states have felt threatened by Iran’s nuclear agreement. Look at the statements made recently by the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. They are faced with a reality which is not very pleasant for them. Let us advance with the smile diplomacy. I advise those who make radical and harsh statements to move towards moderation.
Why hasn’t the text of the implementation agreement been published?
It might be a positive point for both Iran and the US. The objective behind negotiations is to achieve the best exit. I am optimistic. The positive atmosphere which is created and the interactive policy of the negotiating team and other factors show that our bargaining power has increased more than ever before and the results of these negotiations and the agreement will present themselves in the future.