Iran Agrees to Nuke Deal

[Tekania]

Because when they have developed nuclear weapons (even if they do so in secrecy), they have the ultimate bargaining chip in negotiations.

Holding a gun to your head and demanding that other people do things is really not the best way to go about negotiating.

Inded, I've only ever seen it work once.

[Aggicificicerous]

The quote about Israel being wiped off the map is on slide 9. He claims it was misinterpreted, but even if this is the case, the meaning is still very similar. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/06/13/irans-president-mahmoud-a_n_3434408.html

I doubt it. What meaning did he have, exactly?

[Ipriziah]

And if they do it secretly?

Why would they do that? Developing nuclear weapons only works as a diplomatic 'stick' if people know about it.

They are playing the western nations and it is brutal to watch. It is the same thing that Hitler did.

Not in the least. Iran is in a position of weakness here, and extending an olive branch allows them to achieve the policy goals they need (like dealing with their chronic energy shortages and infrastructure problems) without losing face to the hardliners.

Once they have them, it won't matter anymore. The diplomatic stick works if you build them in secrecy, it is about the end result. I also find it odd that a country so rich in oil is looking for nuclear power when they are completely prone to earthquakes which would cause a nuclear disaster.

[Avenio]

Once they have them, it won't matter anymore. The diplomatic stick works if you build them in secrecy,

No, it doesn't, since if Iran demonstrates that it actually has nuclear weapons (or if other powers' intelligence shows that it does, or is getting close), Israel will act to cut off that capability before it even has the chance to think about using them. And at that point any advantage gained by developing them is lost, since Iran would become a pariah state on the order of North Korea, and that's not a scenario they can sustain for long.

it is about the end result. I also find it odd that a country so rich in oil is looking for nuclear power when they are completely prone to earthquakes which would cause a nuclear disaster.

Iran's already heavily leaning on its oil industries in order to keep its government and economy afloat - so much so that they have very little ability to actually improve upon that sector, given how tightly their existing budgets constrain infrastructure development. Given that, diversifying their energy sector away from oil dependency is a good idea.

[New Chalcedon]

Why would they do that? Developing nuclear weapons only works as a diplomatic 'stick' if people know about it.



Not in the least. Iran is in a position of weakness here, and extending an olive branch allows them to achieve the policy goals they need (like dealing with their chronic energy shortages and infrastructure problems) without losing face to the hardliners.

Once they have them, it won't matter anymore. The diplomatic stick works if you build them in secrecy, it is about the end result. I also find it odd that a country so rich in oil is looking for nuclear power when they are completely prone to earthquakes which would cause a nuclear disaster.

The less oil they use at home, the more they can export for earnings. And Iran's chronically short of export earnings since the Revolution, due largely to the US' mostly-successful diplomatic actions blocking their access to most of the world's markets.

That part makes perfect sense.

[Herskerstad]

Seeing how last deal was about being allowed to look at the store windows, but not the shop and certainly not the storage which was a deal France rightly torpedoed, and this one has undisclosed aspects, I choose to remain extremely skeptical.

[Beta Test]

Shall we start the countdown to Israeli strikes?

No seriously this is good and I really hope Israel accepts the decision.

[Herskerstad]

Shall we start the countdown to Israeli strikes?

No seriously this is good and I really hope Israel accepts the decision.

Based on Bibi's reply, I highly doubt it.

[L Ron Cupboard]

Which Deal - the town in Kent or the one in New Jersey?

[Costa Alegria]

What's the bet the Saudis get the warheads anyway? And cover them in gold plate, because shiny things are awesome and it keeps them cool, because they don't have anywhere to keep them.

[Aequalitia]

Shall we start the countdown to Israeli strikes?

No seriously this is good and I really hope Israel accepts the decision.

Well to be honest, I did hear sounds already that Israel still don't trust Iran and don't would believe them, even with this deal Iran made.

It wouldn't be a surprise if Israel going to say soon or later that there still find it a worse deal.

[DogDoo 7]

Cool. It's good to see countries acting like adults. It's also good to see Israel become increasingly irrelevant on the international stage.

[Vitaphone Racing]

Cool. It's good to see countries acting like adults. It's also good to see Israel become increasingly irrelevant on the international stage.

Israel is already irrelevant on the international stage. The only reason they were relevant in this scenario is because Iran's previous regimes have been threatening a nuclear holocaust against them for 34 years; sorta makes their opinions worth hearing to at the least.

[DogDoo 7]

Cool. It's good to see countries acting like adults. It's also good to see Israel become increasingly irrelevant on the international stage.

Israel is already irrelevant on the international stage. The only reason they were relevant in this scenario is because Iran's previous regimes have been threatening a nuclear holocaust against them for 34 years; sorta makes their opinions worth hearing to at the least.

Have they really been threatening a 'holocaust?'
Or have they just been calling the government illegitimate and that the war will be coming?
We're not even the 'great satan,' just the 'little satan.'

[Vitaphone Racing]

Israel is already irrelevant on the international stage. The only reason they were relevant in this scenario is because Iran's previous regimes have been threatening a nuclear holocaust against them for 34 years; sorta makes their opinions worth hearing to at the least.

Have they really been threatening a 'holocaust?'
Or have they just been calling the government illegitimate and that the war will be coming?
We're not even the 'great satan,' just the 'little satan.'

Iran's upper echelons including the Ayatollah have long declared that Israel will either be removed from the region or annihilated in a war. Not considering Ahmedinejad's mis-translated remarks, it's pretty easy to see this is more than dislike of an illegitimate government. Not exactly the sort of country you'd want with nuclear weapons.

[DogDoo 7]

Have they really been threatening a 'holocaust?'
Or have they just been calling the government illegitimate and that the war will be coming?
We're not even the 'great satan,' just the 'little satan.'

Iran's upper echelons including the Ayatollah have long declared that Israel will either be removed from the region or annihilated in a war. Not considering Ahmedinejad's mis-translated remarks, it's pretty easy to see this is more than dislike of an illegitimate government. Not exactly the sort of country you'd want with nuclear weapons.

Ehh, we got 'em too. And iran's not like pakistan where the country is crawling with insane fundies who are opposed to the government.

[CTALNH]

Iran shouldn't compromise on their nuclear program; they have a sovereign right to nuclear power. Furthermore, all sanctions against Iran should be dropped.

What he said.

[Divair]

Very surprising. I'm skeptical as to whether or not they'll actually abandon the program in the end, but this is good news nevertheless.

[Alien Space Bats]

We will find out how good this deal really for peace is once we hear from Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Please. Israel and Saudi Arabia will both remain dissatisfied until such time as America reduces Iran to a radioactive parking lot.

If those are your criteria for peace, you don't want peace: You want war, and you want that war fought with American lives and American treasure.

[Ashmoria]

Well it appears as if diplomatic talks between Iran and 6 world powers (The United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia) have provided some sort of deal on how to handle Iran's nuclear program. President Obama gave a late night briefing to the press, but details on the deal remain largely unknown except for the fact that if Iran complies to whatever the world powers are asking, they will be given access to $4.2 billion in foreign exchange. This may be a step in the right direction for a safer world, but I believe that many of us will be disappointed once the details come out. The Obama White House has had an uncomfortably soft stance on Iran, thus I'm weary to trust his administration in negotiations with them. So Nation States, what do you think about Obama's stance on Iran, and do you think that this deal will create a safer world, or a more dangerous one?

Details on the Deal Revealed:
http://news.yahoo.com/iran-nuclear-deal-reached-geneva-021222943.html

yay

its a good first step. I don't know that it will end up with a real agreement that everyone is happy with but at least it gets everyone in practice with negotiations.

[Alien Space Bats]

This was said by Mahmoud Ahmadinejed At "The World Without Zionism" conference in Tehran. Although he is no longer President, his ideas are in line with those of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

That was a mistranslation. “This occupation regime over Jerusalem must vanish from the arena of time” is a better translation of Ahmedinejad's words. From this statement, we can presume that Iran is opposed to the idea of Zionism (i.e., the establishment and maintenance of a Jewish state, run by and primarily for the benefit of Jews on the land once controlled by the historical land of Israel) and that it is committed to opposing Israel's continued existence as a Jewish state; but we should not assume that Iran means to "wipe out Israel" in the colloquial sense of obliterating its people in a single, vast destructive act.

[Vamtrl]

Peaceful negotiation is always better than military action when possible.

Nobody can argue with that, but if we can't prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons diplomatically, don't you think that we must go to all means necessary. I mean an Iran with the ability to wipe all life off Earth isn't a reassuring thought.

I am not exactly reassured about Pakistan and North Korea having nukes either and "wipe all life off Earth" is a massive stretch.

[Risottia]

So Nation States, what do you think about Obama's stance on Iran, and do you think that this deal will create a safer world, or a more dangerous one?

Better. I don't see why Iran should not have nuclear power plants. I don't even see why Iran should not have nuclear weapons if they want to, considering how they're bordering a non-NNPT nuclear power with Sunni terrorists running around (Pakistan), that they're close to two NNPT nuclear powers (Russia and China), within the range of a notoriously aggressive non-NNPT nuclear power (Israel) and of another non-NNPT power (India) and bordering a NATO-nuclear-sharing country (Turkey), plus another prospective nuclear power in the area (Saudi Arabia).

[Ashmoria]

Obama screws up once again, ensuring peace and prosperity across the world and he didn't even give them weapons. Reagan was so much better at this.

hey this is REAGAN's victory. he is the one who made a deal with iran 25 years ago, getting the whole thing started!

[Gallup]

This was a horrible deal.