Answer to a Question
The Nuclear Deal between Iran and the West
The Question:
On Monday, 20/07/2015, the Security Council ratified the nuclear agreement that was finally signed on 14/07/2015 in Vienna, Austria, between Iran and the P5+1 group, after being extended twice from its scheduled signing date of 30/06/2015 according to the framework agreement signed in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 02/04/2015. What is the substance of this agreement, and what are its results and implications for the situation in the region? In whose interest is this agreement? May Allah reward you with goodness.
The Answer:
It is necessary to review the statements and positions of the influential countries to clarify the answer:
Following the signing of the agreement in Vienna, the US President delivered a televised speech in which he said: "The deal cuts off every pathway for Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon... The deal stipulates the removal of two-thirds of the centrifuges installed in Iran and storing them under international supervision, getting rid of 98% of its enriched uranium, accepting the rapid snapback of sanctions if any violation of the agreement occurs, and giving the International Atomic Energy Agency permanent access to inspect sites whenever and wherever necessary." (BBC, 14/07/2015).
US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "The implementation of the nuclear deal with Iran will be carried out in stages and will begin within 90 days after the issuance of an international resolution by the UN Security Council supporting it, and that the validity of some clauses will take 15 years while other clauses will remain in effect for 25 years." (Russia Today, 14/07/2015).
The Secretary-General of the United Nations—who expresses the American view—said in a statement: "I hope and truly believe that this agreement will lead to greater understanding and cooperation on many serious security challenges in the Middle East." He added that "as such, it can, meaning the agreement, serve as a vital contribution to peace and stability in the entire region and beyond." (Elaf, 14/07/2015).
As for Europe, with its three branches participating in the P5+1—namely France, Britain, and Germany—along with all Europeans, they supported the agreement. European relations official Mogherini stated: "The agreement is a historic event and a good deal; it stipulates the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program and a set of measures that ensure Iran does not seek to conduct research or develop programs that enable it to obtain a nuclear weapon. It is not an end, but rather the beginning of work for a phase of joint cooperation between Iran and international parties." (Russia Today, 14/07/2015).
The French President welcomed the nuclear deal concluded between Iran and the major powers, stating in a televised speech on the occasion of the National Day: "The agreement we signed is extremely important and the world is moving forward..." The British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond praised the "historic agreement" concluded on Tuesday regarding the Iranian nuclear program, considering that it "constitutes an important change in relations between Iran, neighboring countries, and the international community..." (Elaf, 14/07/2015). German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: "The agreement will contribute to spreading security in the Middle East... This is a responsible agreement and Israel should look at it carefully and not criticize the agreement." (German ARD television, 14/07/2015).
As for Russia and China, they did not impose conditions or stand in the way of those Western conditions and agreed to everything that happened:
Regarding Russia, Russian President Putin was "delighted" by the US President's phone call to him following the signing of the final agreement to give Russia some consideration as a return for its stance which supported America. In fact, America had previously obtained Russia's approval on everything regarding Iran and its nuclear program. US Secretary of State Kerry, during his visit to Russia and his meeting with President Putin and his counterpart Lavrov on 12/05/2015 in Sochi, Russia, referring to the ongoing talks on the nuclear deal, stated: "Unity between Moscow and Washington on this issue is a key to signing the final agreement." Therefore, Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program and said that the international community received it with "great relief" after negotiations that lasted for many long years... For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov promised in Vienna that Russia "will contribute to practical steps for the implementation of the agreement." (Elaf, 14/07/2015).
As for the Chinese representative, he said: "Everyone must possess a spirit of positivity in implementing the nuclear deal, noting that the implementation of the nuclear deal with Iran during the first ten years is of great importance." (Al-Wefaq website, 20/07/2015). Similarly, "Obama thanked the Chinese President for his role in the talks with Iran" (Al-Arabiya channel, 21/07/2015).
As for Iran, its joy over the agreement was beyond description! It forgot, or rather pretended to forget, the Great and Lesser Satan. Iranian television broadcasted US President Obama's speech delivered after the agreement welcoming it, which is the second time in 36 years that Iranian television has broadcasted a speech by an American president live, bearing in mind that diplomatic relations have been severed between the two countries since 1980! Then the Iranian President spoke minutes after Obama and considered the agreement a "starting point" for building trust between his country and the West. He said: "If this agreement is implemented properly... we can gradually remove the lack of trust..." (Elaf website, 14/07/2015).
Thus, all the negotiating international powers (P5+1) saw the agreement as a "historic act" and followed America in that. However, two parties opposed it, not because it is not in the interest of America, but for other purposes; these two parties are the Republican Party in America and the Jewish entity...
- As for the Republican Party, it realizes that the agreement is distinctively in America's interest. However, as is the habit of the Republican Party, it fights fiercely to prevent the Democratic Party from succeeding in having a distinctive vital project for America's interest credited to it, especially when elections are approaching. This matter is not new; we remember the American hostage crisis that lasted from 04/11/1979 until 20/01/1981, where the Republicans exerted every effort to foil the attempts of Carter, the Democratic president at the time, to solve the hostage crisis unless it was during the era of the Republicans. And so it was; prominent officials in the Republican Party contacted prominent officials in Khomeini’s government and agreed to obstruct the release of the hostages during the Carter administration's time and postpone it until Reagan's term after the end of the presidential elections, with Iran obtaining American weapons and the release of Iranian deposits, in addition to other agreements... Indeed, that happened; no sooner had the Republican Reagan taken the presidential oath of office on 20/01/1981 than the American hostages were released twenty minutes after the oath, and a plane took them to Washington within hours. Reagan's supporters began talking about this miracle and the end of this crisis as soon as Reagan reached presidential power!
The matter now is also like that; it is an electoral partisan struggle and not a disagreement over America's interest. Both parties realize that the nuclear agreement was a win for America, but the Republicans do not want the Democrats to win a vital project credited to them, especially since the presidential elections are approaching. From this door, the Republican opposition entered. It is well known that the Congress, controlled by the Republicans, opposed signing the agreement because the Congress has partisan calculations related to the presidential elections that will take place at the beginning of November 2016. The Republican Party works to prevent the Democratic Party, represented by the current administration headed by Obama, from appearing to have achieved a brilliant success through which it could win the presidential elections. Obama realizes this, and that is why he threatened to use the veto if the Republicans went to the full extent of opposition and obstructed the agreement in Congress...
- As for the Jewish entity, it undoubtedly realizes that it could not have dreamed of such an agreement, as it made this entity lead the region with the possession of nuclear weapons alone without a rival... However, it showed opposition for three matters: First, the entity expects the Republican Party to win the presidential elections, so it supports it in its preliminary election campaigns and then gains "favor" with the Republican Party upon its success... Second, the entity expects Obama to do something to appease this entity because the Democrats need the votes of the Jewish lobby, so the objection becomes a means of blackmail... Third, and most importantly, this entity realizes that the rulers in Iran and other Muslim lands who squander the rights of the Ummah and its weapons will not last long, and then that day will not be delayed when the Islamic Ummah returns to its Deen and its scientists revive its vital industry anew... The Jewish entity realizes this, and that is why it shows that this agreement is insufficient to create pressure that, after pursuing nuclear weapons in Iran and other Muslim lands, would move to pursuing nuclear scientists in the lands of the Muslims...
For these reasons, the entity showed its opposition; otherwise, it realizes that Republicans and Democrats are committed to preserving the security of that entity, and it cannot do without America's umbrella to preserve its security. For the Jews have no standing except with a rope from Allah and a rope from the people; they severed the rope from Allah a long time ago, and now they are holding onto a rope from the people. Their security is based on an external factor, and such an agreement is a pillar in preserving their security. Therefore, their opposition to the agreement is not real. Thus, Carter, Obama’s Secretary of Defense—at the time when Netanyahu was opposing Obama—arrived in the state of the Jews with a grand reception and said: "Israel is the pillar of our policy in the Middle East, and we will not allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon, and we are committed to the security and defense of our allies in the region." (Occupied Jerusalem - Quds Net News Agency, 20/07/2015).
From these statements and positions, the following becomes clear:
a- The intense eagerness of the American administration to sign this agreement! It dealt with it as if it were a fateful issue for itself and not for Iran, Europe, or any other country... The US President was managing the negotiations from a distance, with direct contact and extreme interest in concluding this agreement. He occupied his Secretary of State with it for three continuous weeks, besides previous contacts, which indicates the extent of the importance of this agreement for America and its interests and the interests of the Obama administration. It has bound Iran for decades and distanced it from manufacturing any nuclear weapon. If we link this to previous statements by the US President and other US officials regarding the importance of Iran's strategic role in the region and the readiness to work with it—rather, actually working with it as is apparent—as well as the statements of Iranian officials who announced their cooperation with America in Iraq and Afghanistan and their readiness to work with it in fighting terrorism and extremism, and what is actually witnessed of America's implicit approval of what Iran and its party are doing in Syria, as well as what happened in Yemen where it gave Iran an important role to supply the Houthis with weapons and equipment to play a role there so that America could extend its influence in Yemen... All of this indicates that America aims through this agreement to facilitate matters for Iran by lifting sanctions and establishing overt relations with it so that it continues to play the role that would facilitate America's work, lighten its burdens, and cover its games with the countries and peoples in the region. Thus, Iran actually implements American policy as is happening in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, but instead of the implementation being from behind a curtain that blocks the view as it was, it would be from behind a transparent curtain or without a curtain!
b- On another hand, it was noted that the three European countries were on the margins of the negotiations! What was taking place were almost arrangements prepared by America with Iran regarding the lifting of sanctions, the nuclear deal, and activating Iran in the service of American projects in the region. No doubt Europe realized that, for most of the secret meetings, and even the decisive public ones, were taking place between American and Iranian representatives... Thus, it was clear to Europe that the agreement prepared by America would be adopted; therefore, the European objection—especially the French one—receded and the signing took place... Europe saw fit to gain something from this American agreement, especially from the lifting of sanctions, so those countries rushed toward the Iranian arena. Britain announced it would open its embassy there... France announced its Foreign Minister would head to Tehran... German companies prepared to move immediately toward Iran; in fact, for some time they have been drawing up future programs in Iran and projects they will implement there. This appeared across German media outlets, as if the Germans for some time had been confident that the agreement would be signed and felt that Iran would make concessions and realized it was at America's beck and call... Thus, nothing remained for the Europeans, having realized they could not prevent the American-Iranian nuclear deal or affect American influence, except to move toward Iran to obtain spoils by gaining investments and projects there since they suffer from financial hardship. Through this, they can work inside Iran in the long run to restore European influence or some of it there alongside American influence...
c- As for Russia and China, they do not aspire to have influence in Iran... If America facilitates their commercial relations with Iran by lifting sanctions, that is enough for them. If added to it, as we mentioned earlier, a thank-you call from Obama for not opposing the agreement, then it is a good thing for them!
d- As for Iran, all that mattered to it was the lifting of sanctions and appearing as a victor even if the weapon of pride for Islam and Muslims was stripped from it, and even if it was in exchange for the accelerated and escalating implementation of American projects in the region at a pace greater than it is now! It showed its joy over the agreement and supported it on the official and popular levels because it cancels the sanctions, and they remained silent about the price for that... Iranian President Hassan Rouhani delivered a speech via Iranian television immediately after the signing, but he waited for the US President to finish his speech! Rouhani praised the agreement and said it achieved what Iran aspires to: "All sanctions imposed on Iran will be removed on the day the agreement enters into force..."
In exchange for lifting the sanctions, there were concessions that no free system would accept, let alone a system that raises the slogan of Islam. Any rational person who looks closely at those concessions and ponders them will be struck by extreme astonishment at their atrocity. The "Russia Today" page, following the announcement of the agreement on 14/07/2015, published its most important clauses, including:
Imposing long-term restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program with the continuation of uranium enrichment at a rate of 3.67%... Reducing centrifuges by two-thirds to 5060 centrifuges... Getting rid of 98% of enriched uranium... Not exporting nuclear fuel during the coming years and not building heavy water reactors and not transferring equipment from one nuclear facility to another for 15 years... Allowing IAEA inspectors to enter all suspected sites, including military sites, but after consultation with Tehran... Maintaining the arms import ban for an additional 5 years and 8 years for ballistic missiles... Releasing Iran's frozen assets and funds estimated at billions of dollars... Lifting sanctions imposed by Europe and the United States on Iran...
The page added that Iran signed a "road map" with the IAEA, and it included:
Maintaining the restrictions imposed on Iran in the nuclear field for 8 years... Iran refraining from conducting scientific research regarding nuclear fuel processing for 15 years... Iran's stockpile of low-enriched uranium must not exceed 300 kilograms during 15 years... Iran is committed until October 15 to clarify issues of a potential military nature in dialogue with the IAEA.
The Iranian Fars News Agency said on 14/07/2015: "The draft agreement stipulates the inspection of all Iranian sites, including military ones, and one visit to the Parchin military site."
Added to that is what came in Obama’s speech after the agreement: "...and accepting the rapid snapback of sanctions if any violation of the agreement occurs..."
Whoever ponders these concessions will be struck by extreme astonishment at their atrocity, as we said earlier... The strange and wondrous thing is that the regime promotes these concessions as victories! There are those who make mistakes but admit their mistakes and address them or seek to address them; these are people whose mistakes and return from them one can understand. But for people to intentionally and deliberately commit terrible tragedies regarding the fate of an Ummah and then count them as a victory and a win, that is a lethal darkness that might be somewhat lightened by that light starting to appear from some of the conscious people in Iran who were not deceived by that promotion of a false victory but rather saw it as a crushing defeat with their own eyes. The Raja website in Iran criticized the celebration of the agreement and said: "It is not a victory but rather a crushing defeat because it closed a large part of Iran's nuclear technology" (Elaf website, July 14)... Even Khamenei realized that the weapon of promoting victory is a losing weapon, especially after Iranian television broadcasted Obama's speech before his president's speech! So the "Leader of the Revolution" returned to try to fix the loss by describing America as arrogant... and that its policy differs from his policy... and that he does not negotiate with it... but when?! After he was sated with negotiation... and after the American nuclear project had dealt a fatal blow to Iran... Even the lifting of sanctions and the release of funds with which the regime tried to justify these concessions do not stand as an argument. The repetition of that in Rouhani's speeches: "Those sanctions caused many problems in Iranian society, 23/06/2015" and he repeated it again in his speech delivered after the signing of the agreement and broadcasted by Iranian television, saying: "The sanctions left effects on the Iranian people, 14/07/2015"... All of that is out of deception because the effects of sanctions are not erased by humiliating concessions, but by applying the laws of Islam with sincerity and devotion, especially the economic system in the laws of public ownership and state ownership, and that men who were true to what they pledged to Allah carry out the application, so they make good use of the vast wealth in Iran, underground and on the surface. This system is written in the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw), realized by everyone who has a heart or gives ear while he is a witness... All of that gives life to the people and raises them from the hardship of living, and the effect of the sanctions rebounds on its maker and not on the one for whom they were made. As for the release of funds, if the costs of the weapons that Iran is abandoning were calculated in exchange for that, the difference would not be great! So how about if the moral value lost by the Ummah by stripping away an important part of its weapons is added?!
This is how sanctions are treated, and not by humiliating concessions...
إِنَّ فِي هَذَا لَبَلَاغًا لِقَوْمٍ عَابِدِينَ
"Indeed, in this is a message for a people who are worshippers." (QS. Al-Anbiya [21]: 106)