Six major world powers – the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia — converged in Geneva and inked an interim pact with Iran on November 4, 2013, to bring an end to the long-drawn nuclear standoff. The world powers involved in the execution of the deal succeeded in winning the endorsement of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on this critical issue. The US President Barrack Obama said the deal struck after long-drawn-out and convoluted negotiations would cut off Tehran’s likely routes to a nuclear bomb.
While the US and other signatories to the nuclear deal seemed pretty enthusiastic and optimistic about its outcome Israel, Iran’s obstinate adversary, denounced the agreement out-and-out. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu harshly condemned the deal with Iran, calling it a “historic mistake” and saying that he was not bound by the accord inked between Iran and the other signatories to the deal.
Israel’s strong reaction to the accord is not astonishing at all particularly when seen in the backdrop of the murky and uncongenial relations it has always had with Iran. Israel certainly would not take the nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers on a positive note because it would give Iran the much-needed relief from the sanctions imposed on it by the US and its allies due to the nuclear standoff.
M FAZAL ELAHI
Islamabad
