Talk of coming to terms on a nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 are looming large with a deadline coming later this month. It’s well documented how many US hawks are opposed to any deal on any terms, but the situation in Iran isn’t unified either.
The hardliners in Iran can’t be publicly opposed to a nuclear deal with the Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei supporting it, but they are hoping there’s some way to separate the issue from a broader rapprochement with the West.
There’s no denying that international sanctions have greatly damaged the Iranian economy, but presenting themselves as constantly at risk of attack from the US and others has been a political football the hardliners have put to great use.
It’s unclear how it would even theoretically work, but their goal is to reach some sort of deal on the nuclear issue to get the sanctions lifted, while retaining long-term hostility, particularly with the US, which has been so politically useful for them.
Come, come, are they not survivalists using a good and proper survival tactic against the brutal imperialism of an Empire striving to expand over their nation’s crumbled remains?
I am suprised by this post. What is as stake here is the repeat of Gaddafi scenario. And Iranians are not stupid to fall into that trap. Having abandoned his nucleaer program, Libya had no international guarantees of being left in peace. But it trusted the "rapproachement" with West, being courted by bankers to have all of its money go into Western institutions. Hugs with Tony Blair, funding Sarkozy's campaign in France. Libya forgot that it was opening itself to theft and butchery. Having all the oil and gas, thought that West was going to be satisfied mannaging all of its wealth and reaping profits. Bad judgement. The offer to Iran — as a generous means of rapproachment was a special line of Iranian bank to US banking system. So, just give us your money, and trust us! Unless there is a more substantial guarantee of security, as well as US removing international sanctions — there will be no deal, and that has NOTHING to do with Iranian hard liners, used to having a convenient enemy. Unless the deal with US is more systemic, involves removing of both unilateral and UN sanctions — why on earth would Iran trust some banking schema and make all of its trade be dependent on the clearinghouse in US?