The Iranian Thaw

　　Nuclear talks between Iran and UN Security Council members on the verge of a breakthrough

　　After a long period of faltering Iranian nuclear talks， it appears there may be some hope for a peaceful resolution. However， no deal was reached until the last moment of the delayed Geneva talks on the issue from November 7 to 9 between Iran and the group known as the P5+1， which includes the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—China， the United States， Russia， France and Britain—plus Germany. Days after this round of talks， Iran and the IAEA announced an agreement that Iran will allow the UN nuclear watchdog to visit the Arak heavy water plant and Gachin uranium mine， which is seen as a sign of concession by Teheran to help resolve remaining disputes. Around the same time， London and Teheran announced plans to revive their diplomatic relations by once again appointing diplomats to each other， suggesting an apparent thaw in Iran’s relations with the West.

　　Observers said the new round of talks in Geneva represents substantial progress in the Iranian nuclear issue. After a more than decade-long standoff over the controversial nuclear program， the world has finally come close to a historic turn.

　　U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed progress made during the talks. European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton， who leads EU talks with Iran， said， “A lot of concrete progress has been achieved， but some differences remain.”

　　Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif offered another reason for optimism. “I think we are all on the same wavelength， and that’s important，” Zarif said. “That gives us the impetus to go forward.”

　　“It is not easy to strike a deal， but the positive attitude and remarks from all parties showed that now is an extraordinary and historic opportunity，” said Lu Jin， an associate research fellow with the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies under Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

　　Unprecedented opportunity

　　Since the new (and comparatively moderate) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani took power on August 4， Iran’s stance on its nuclear issue has displayed a certain level of flexibility.

　　Lu said both the United States and Iran revealed their willingness to seek a breakthrough on the Iranian nuclear issue following the latter’s power transition.

　　“To grow its domestic economy， the new Iranian president hopes the international community will lift sanctions on the country in response to its softened stance toward nuclear talks，” Lu said.

　　Li Shaoxian， a senior researcher on Middle East studies and Vice President of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR)， echoed Lu in saying that the U.S. sanctions on Iran has multiplied the country’s economic difficulties. Iran’s power transition could serve as an opportunity to make needed changes by easing its relations with the West and thereby improving the economy.

　　The U.S. President Barack Obama， a Nobel Peace laureate， also wants to make his mark on the deadlock， Lu added， noting that the relatively eased state of tensions between Washington and Teheran has contributed to the nuclear talk.

　　Observers noted that， after Obama took office for a second term， the U.S. diplomatic focus has moved slightly to the Middle East， even though its “pivot to Asia” strategy remains in place. American diplomat Kerry has paid extensive visits to the region after assuming the post as secretary of state.

　　During the UN Assembly this September， the first breakthrough was made in building mutual trust between the two countries. Obama and Rouhani held a talk by telephone during the Iranian president’s New York trip， the first direct conversation between top leaders in Washington and Tehran since 1979， which was believed to have raised the possibility that a deal can be reached over Iran’s controversial nuclear program.

　　Sadeq Zibakalam， a professor of politics at Tehran University， was quoted by Xinhua News Agency after the latest round of Geneva talks as saying that although there were some stumbling blocks in the process， “we have good grounds to be hopeful that a historic deal was in the air.”

　　Zibakalam believes the talks ushered in a new era for Iran-U.S. relations. “Perhaps the details of the deal will not be as important as the fact that for the first time， Iran and the West (took the) risk to cooperate with each other after years，” he said.

　　Lack of trust

　　While some countries were disappointed in the failure to reach firm agreements during the latest round of Geneva talks， Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed pleasure over the lack of an agreement between the world powers and Iran， arguing that a potential deal with Iran is “dangerous.”

　　Lu of the CASS noted that Netanyahu’s tough stance stems from Israel’s sense of insecurity. “After all， Israel is a small country within the region，” Lu said.

　　As a long-time foe， Israel has faced threats of military action by the regional Islamic power. What’s more， former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad even publicly questioned Israel’s right to exist.

　　“Israel is firmly opposed to a nuclearized Iran or any concessions regarding the issue. This time， some countries in the Gulf have spoken up in agreement with Israel，” said Lu. “They do not want to see a nuclear power in the neighborhood either.”

　　However， Iran’s nuclear ambition ironically began in response to the hostile policies of Washington toward Teheran.

　　Since the 1979 Islamic revolution， Washington has maintained an aggressive stance toward the country， forming an oppositional threat to the Iranian Government. Iran claimed its nuclear program is for self-defense against such intimidation， Lu told Beijing Review. “The fundamental problem lies in the mutual distrust regarding security from all sides.”

　　Chinese contribution

　　The Chinese Government welcomed the serious attitude and arduous work of all parties involved in the negotiation. At a daily news briefing after the three-day intensive P5+1 talks with Iran， Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said all parties showed a willingness to resolve the issue during the talks， narrowing gaps and enhancing understanding among all sides. But he also noted that resolution to the controversial nuclear program cannot be reached in one move.

　　“China is firmly against nuclear proliferation，” said Lu. “Though China is not a major player in the talks， it serves as an irreplaceable bridge between Iran and the West.”

　　Iran has kept close relations with China. Iranian high-level officials have made intensive visits to China in the months prior to the talks.

　　“After the dialogue with Iran， China has also been closely involved with other members of the P5+1，” said Lu. “China has utilized its unique position to promote dialogue and enhance mutual trust between Iran and the West.”

　　Lu hailed the effectiveness of the P5+1 structure. “Without such a platform， multi-party dialogue such as the Geneva talks would be impossible，” she said.

　　During the talks， Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong， who attended the talks representing China， called on parties concerned to continue dialogue and consultations on the current basis to enhance mutual trust and expand consensus.

　　China has always maintained that the issue should be resolved via dialogue， said Li， adding that China will continue to maintain contact with all parties and contribute to the peaceful settlement of the issue through political and diplomatic means.

　　In his interview with Xinhua， the Iranian scholar Zibakalam said he believes that a thawing of Iran-U.S. relations will be a major step toward solving the country’s nuclear issue.

　　Zibakalam said that the parties’ failure to reach a deal with Iran in the recent meeting is “only a delay” and that it laid the groundwork for finalizing it in the next meeting.

　　Li of the CICIR is optimistic about the upcoming fresh round of talks scheduled for November 20 and said the latest talk hinted at positive results for the next meeting.

　　“Whether or not substantial steps are achieved in the next round of talks， the process will ultimately move ahead，” Lu said.

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