New Nuclear Talks with Iran and Six World Powers Set for February 18 in Geneva

It is still many days ahead before the nuclear talks with Iran and six powerful nations in the world begins. The date is February 18 and the venue is the U.N. headquarters in Vienna. Tehran is set to enter into a long-term deal to curb some parts of its nuclear program. This will be done in return for the gradual end of the sanctions imposed on Iran. The meeting was announced by Catherine Ashton, the EU’s chief of foreign policy. The meeting was a result of the security conference in Munich when she met with Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister. Ashton, who is the coordinator of the nuclear talks representing Germany, France, Britain, China, Russia and the United States has been invited to visit Iran as well.

Long overdue talks

The West fears that Iran’s nuclear program is purported to create atomic weapons. Iran has been denying this. The six world super powers have been negotiating with Iran for years to have some parts of its nuclear program curbed. The country’s previous defiance prompted the U.N. Security Council to apply economic sanctions to the Western Asian country, which almost crippled its oil industry.

It took two months of intense negotiations from the U.N. Security Council’s five permanent members and Germany to secure three rounds of talks with Iran last year and an interim deal. This deal, which has a six-month validity and subject to renewal has Iran agreeing to suspend the most sensitive activities in their nuclear program. In return, the West eased some of the economic sanctions. The forthcoming talks on February 18 is seen as sealing a more definitive accord.

More positive developments

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has gotten the support of the senior conservative clerics against those that oppose the nuclear deal which had been reached with the six world powers. Eshaq Jahangiri, the Iranian First Vice President had a big great part in this. He visited the clerics in Qom, the Shi’ite Muslim holy city to seek their blessing and to explain in detail what the deal would mean for the Iranians as a whole. Hard line clerics have attacked the interim deal but the President has been backed by Ali Khamenei, the Iranian Supreme Leader. He has the final say on the nuclear issue, as well as all matters of the state.

In Iran, the backing of the clergy is highly important because they have direct access to the locals through their sermons. They have the capability to mobilize people to support the deal.

Grand Ayatollah Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani said that the government of Rouhani has given hope to their society. It was in reference to the previous government, which many blamed for the country’s political isolation and its economic struggle.

In the major cities of Iran, people are now friendlier towards the United States after the interim deals last November. They are looking forward to a better future. The November deal meant the easing of some of the sanctions, oil and gold sales and the release of $8 billion worth of assets. Iranians, who love to travel, are delighted by the substantial drop in the prices of airline tickets.

The limited sanctions that Iran gained in the November interim deal was used by Iranian leaders to create excitement on a national level, which promises a brighter future for the nation’s economy, as this will lead to additional opportunities for them to have global trading partners.

Photo credit: Taken by U.S. Department of State under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.