For weeks, the two main obstacles to a final nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 have been access to conventional Iranian military sites and the question of lifting the arms embargo against Iran. Reports emerging today are that both have been resolved.
The deal on access to sites appears to include a planned IAEA visit to Parchin, a conventional military site, by year’s end. Iran has objected to demands of unrestricted access going forward at all military sites, and US officials have conceded that the demands were unreasonable.
Sources also say that the deal will partially lift the arms embargo, giving Iran the right to supply defensive weapons to its regional allies. This is seen as likely to include shipments of arms to Syria and Iraq to fight against ISIS.
The exact terms of these deals, like the rest of the pact, have not been made public, and while it is expected we’ll get something of a public release of the pact after it is signed, something many believe could happen later this week, certain aspects may end up in secret addenda to the deal.
Once the agreement has been signed for the US our congress can rant and rave as much as it wants to. It can even vote no. It is a meaningless waste of time. It will only mean that it is not US law. However, the remainder of the world with the exception of Israel and the Marshall Islands will continue to consider this to be a valid international agreement. Evidence: SOFA Iraq 2008 was signed by President Bush but was never ratified by our Senate. In 2012 President Obama withdrew all members of the US Armed Forces from Iraq as demanded by SOFA Iraq 2008 because he knew that every member of the UN Security Council considered that agreement to be binding on both parties who had signed it.
Empire — A nation above all agreements
We live in a three Empire world, where Empire USA strives for supremacy over Russia and China in order to make it a one Empire world. So, as this agreement appears to reduce the imperial powers of USA and looks to be a victory for diplomacy over military bruit force, the best of all evils it could very well be.
But, arbitrary USA could make any agreement null and void the moment a new opening for expansion comes along, and so, we must wait and see.