I heard an analyst on Almayadeen TV yesterday say that first and foremost, the nuke deal is a victory for the Iranian “culture of good manners”. That it was specifically Rohani’s and Zarif’s exceptionally good manners that greased the deal forward from scratch.
The second victory for Iran is the overnight propulsion of Iran from “rogue” state in Western eyes, to peace-and-prosperity partner.
The third victory is that Iran has finally been recognized by the world as an important regional superpower, in close competition today with isreal and Saudi Arabia, therefore able to now legitimately exert geopolitical influence in the region.
Saudi Arabia’s frothing indignation at the “outsider” Iran aiding the economies and securities of Arab Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen is now a moot intellectual and political argument. The Saudis can no longer claim that Iran’s influence on some Arab states is illegitimate and an act of foreign infiltration and hostility against the regional status quo, as Iran is now an essential part of the new status quo and has every right to exert its geopolitical soft and hard power in the region, to protect or advance its interests where and when it deems it necessary.
And in Tel Aviv, israel’s fiery threats to ‘go it alone’ against Iran have been reduced to innocuous pale ash overnight. They cannot now strike and devastate a country where the top 6 countries in the world hold trillions of dollars in investment as this would be considered economic warfare against the mega investor countries too.
What we are likely to see now, out in the open, is a solidifying alliance between israel and Saudi Arabia intent on turning the tables against Iran at any cost. But this collusion with israel will only weaken the House of Saud’s reputation and position as a brother and elder in the Arab world, threatening to significantly diminish its prestige in the wider islamic world too where israel is seen as a hostile and dangerous islamophobe.
But what’s really especially notable here with the success of the Iran deal is that American Empire has clearly pushed aside its old Saudi and israeli dictatorship bulldogs, signalling that its regional interests are no longer shared with them 100% and that from here on, Empire will work solely for its own sole interests.
And it looks like the future of Empire’s own interests do not lie obsessively in the Middle East.
If only Netanyahu had gone to an Iranian charm school.
Iran itself stands to make trillions with the lifted sanctions – make so much money that some experts are predicting that inside of a decade, Iran’s wealth would surpass even Saudi Arabia’s oceans of petrodollars.
I watched Mark Regev reaction last night on CNN’s Erin Burnett (she’s a CFR shill) complain and complain this is a Bad Deal for Israel. They come to expect the US to service it’s every demand, but there is no significant return, like a anchor that is slowing the ship to a halt
Time they started surviving on their own. The USA or any western nation cannot prop this oppressive settler colony forever.
Excellent idea.
They can’t survive on their own, Chu – just ask any ‘liberal’ zionist lol.
I wanted to start a petition with some org, like Avaaz, where
you could get signatures of every American citizen who wanted to opt-out of the occupation and financial support of Israel. You could probably get 20 million signatures and that would scare the politicians and AIPAC.
Something like that to get this ball moving.
That’s a really, really great idea – the petition, I mean. I don’t know who ‘Avaaz’ is, but will go google it in a mo.
really excellent analysis taxi.
Thanks annie.
I will repeat…Iran played Israel like a 2 dollar whore. They gave up nukes they really werent determined to have to begin with to get what they wanted to begin with—the US state to the “Iran State” talks, the opening to some kind of relations or at least communication between iran and the US they havent had since the overthrow of the US puppet Shah–and the lifting of sanctions.
agreed. it occurred to me when i saw the outlines of the deal that iran ramped it up so what they wanted all along would appear to be a concession.
All the businessmen in the middle east that I know complain horribly about doing business deals with Iranians. They all say they are maddeningly slow to move an inch during negotiations, scrutinizing every small detail from at least 16 different angles – and once their ducks are meticulously lined up, they then suddenly swoop and collect – lol!
i had no idea! i’d love to go there. a friend of mine is traveling there for 3 weeks starting today. fun 😉
Think of the patient thoroughness of the carpet weaver’s fingers, annie. Stitch by careful stitch: that’s a traditional Iranian MO.
I’d love to go to Iran too. Wanna go everywhere old and exotic really, lol!
Count me in. The history. It’s like the Vienna of the Near East.
Great new blog, Taxi. Congrats.
Thanks irishmoses! A few more like you and we could all charter a private plane to Iran 🙂