After years of tortuous negotiations, Iran and world powers reached a ‘historic’ agreement on curbing Iran’s nuclear program and lifting the international sanctions on the country. Iranian and American officials have hailed the deal as a major achievement for world’s peace and stability with US President Barack Obama saying it would make the work “safer and more secure”. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the deal opens “a new chapter” in relations of Tehran with the world. While Barack Obama said the deal closed “every pathway” to Iran making a nuclear bomb, Rouhani victoriously stressed that world powers finally recognized Iran’s nuclear activities. However, there have been oppositions to the negotiations between Iran and the 5+1 world powers from Israel, and conservatives in US and Iran as well as concerns from some Arab nations. The agreement is coming as a major achievement for peace and stability of the region and the world as it resolves one of the biggest political impasses of the current world.

Based on the agreement, the international sanctions – UN-imposed sanctions and unilateral EU and US sanctions aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapon – would be lifted in a shorter time based on Iran’s compliance with the terms of the agreement and its cooperation with the international nuclear inspectors. The agreement would help Iran to recover billions of dollars of it frozen assets worldwide while reserving the right for Tehran to continue a ‘safe’ and insensitive nuclear program for peaceful and scientific purposes. In return the agreement would oblige Iran to scrap a major part of its current nuclear program under international oversight and agree to international inspection of its nuclear and military sites, despite that international access to some military sites would not be automatic. The agreement stipulates that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would have access to nuclear sites of Iran at any time it required. Based on the deal, if Iran fails to comply with the terms of the agreement, the international economic sanctions on Iran could be reintroduced in about two months.

The nuclear negotiations between Iran and the 5+1 world powers (US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany) speeded up after Hassan Rouhani’s takeover of power from his predecessor Mahmood Ahmadinejad. While previously Iran held inflexible stance over its nuclear activities, the new government in Tehran led by more moderate president revitalized hopes for a genuine and peaceful settlement of Iran’s nuclear program and promoted the talks between Tehran and the 5+1 into a new level. Perhaps the biggest sign of change in Iran was not about the new government but about a changed approach from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatullah Ali Khamanaei after Hassan Rouhani’s election to presidency. After election of Rouhani to Iran’s presidency, which came as a healing development for Iran’s internal politics after the country’s previous controversial elections, Iran’s supreme leader began to show more flexible stance over the country’s nuclear program and Tehran’s relations with the West. Khamanaie provided his unwavering support to the efforts of the new government for resolving the nuclear stalemate with the world powers.

Iran officials hope the nuclear deal would help the country to quickly ease its economic woes and put the country’s economic recovery back on track quickly. In recent years, Iran has been suffering severe economic problems due to the global economic recession, flawed internal economic policies and the sanctions imposed for stifling the country’s economy. Iranians have borne the brunt of the economic decline and the rising price hikes that have risen to unprecedented levels so far. The agreement would release Iran’s frozen assets and oil revenues while lifts the restrictions imposed on the country’s oil, airways and banking sectors. The relentless international sanctions had severe impacts on Iran’s economy and its crippling impacts began to convince Iranian leaders to take steps forward for resolving the nuclear standoff with the West.

However, Iran’s economic woes were not the only factors that led to a fresh round of talks between Tehran and Western powers along with China and Russia over Iran’s nuclear activities. As mentioned, a profound shift of approach had occurred in Iran’s leadership after Hassan Rouhani’s election to presidency. In addition to that, the ongoing crises in the Middle East and the chaotic situation in the Muslim World convinced both Iran and the Western powers to push for a political solution to the standoff and not fall in trap of another major conflict in the Middle East. With the unfolding multi-facet crises in the Middle East, major world powers have increasingly become disinterested to playing any role in stirring another problem in the region. Therefore, the agreement is a major breakthrough for resolving the long-lasting suspicions between the West and Tehran which has affected the whole Middle East region as well as the wider world.

Both Iran and the world powers strived and tried hard to reach a final deal that would resolve one of the biggest nuclear stalemates of the contemporary world. The agreement definitely prevented another possible and potentially catastrophic conflict in the Middle East. It is also hoped that the nuclear deal would help deescalate tensions between Iran and the West as well as with the Arab nations. Many expect the nuclear deal would improve Iran’s relations with the European powers and help resolving the long-standing distrusts between Tehran and Washington. Israel and Saudi Arabia, an archrival to Iran, are still remaining skeptical of the development of the nuclear talks and the final agreement struck between the two sides. Many still fear that allowing Iran to reserve the right for restricted nuclear activities would result to a nuclear activities and arms race in the Middle East.

Needless to say, many of Arab nations have in the past tried to mediate between Iran and the West, and therefore, may be happy with the diversion of a potential war in the region over Iran’s nuclear program. Overall, the agreement would be in interests of the whole region as it averted a potential war. However, only time would prove if the deal struck between Iran and world major powers would help easing the ongoing strategic rivalries between major world and regional players not only in the Middle East but also the whole Muslim world.