Only Compromise Can Save America and Iran’s Nuclear Talks

Published in Mainichi Shimbun
(Japan) on 22 November 2021
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Joseph Santiago. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.
World leaders will resume negotiations next week aimed at restoring the Iran nuclear deal, marking the first meeting since the anti-American administration of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi came to power. Finding common ground will be pivotal to the success of these talks.

Originally drafted in 2015, the Iran deal was reached by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, consisting of the U.S., the U.K., France, Russia and China, plus Germany and Iran. One of the key provisions was that each country would lift its sanctions on Iran if Iran agreed to lower its uranium enrichment to below 3.67%.

However, the Trump administration doubted the deal’s ability to stop Iran’s nuclear development, backed out of the agreement and reinstated sanctions. In response, Iran has accelerated development of its nuclear capability beyond the agreed upon limit. Since he took office, Joe Biden has expressed a willingness to reenter the agreement, using Europe as an intermediary for talks that have been on and off since April. Both sides have remained obstinate, however, as Iran has demanded that the U.S. lift sanctions immediately, while America has stated Iran must comply with the nuclear deal first. The U.S. has also expressed a desire to place new limits on Iran’s missile development, and thus the distance between the two countries has widened, culminating in an end to negotiations during Iran’s presidential election in June.

Iran, not surprisingly, was furious and has increased its uranium enrichment to 60%, a level at which it could comfortably produce nuclear weapons. As the International Atomic Energy Agency’s efforts to conduct inspections have been impeded, worries in the international community have grown. Compared to his predecessor, Raisi’s opposition to America is striking. However, with the dire financial straits his people are facing, America’s return to the negotiating table will only feed demands to end sanctions.

If Iran continues its nuclear program, Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations may develop their own programs in response, filling the Middle East with nuclear weapons. Israel in particular will not tolerate a nuclear-capable Iran. Military tension between the two could trigger unrest in regions such as Lebanon, where Iran’s influence is strong.

The outcome of these negotiations will undoubtedly have an impact on Non-Proliferation Treaty. It is imperative that Iran and America each put pride aside, look at the big picture and get back on track to making a new deal.


合意は2015年、国連安全保障理事会の常任理事国である米英仏露中にドイツを加えた6カ国とイランの間で結ばれた。
イランがウランの濃縮度を3・67%以下にとどめるなど核開発を制限する見返りに、各国が経済制裁を解除する内容だ。

 米国のトランプ前政権は、それでは核開発を止められないとして、合意から一方的に離脱し経済制裁を復活させた。これに反発したイランは、合意の範囲を超えて核開発を加速している。

バイデン大統領は就任後すぐ、合意に復帰する意向を示し、欧州諸国を介した間接交渉が4月から断続的に開かれた。
交渉では、イランが「まず米国が制裁を全面解除すべきだ」と主張したのに対し、米国はイランに合意順守を求めた。

米国は新たにミサイル開発の抑制も合意に盛り込みたい考えを伝え、双方の溝は埋まらないまま、6月のイラン大統領選挙で交渉は中断した。

 米国が合意に復帰しないことにいらだつイランは、ウランの濃縮度を60%にまで高めた。核兵器製造が容易なレベルだ。国際原子力機関(IAEA)の査察を制限する強硬姿勢に、国際社会の懸念が強まっている。

ライシ新政権は前政権に比べ、反米姿勢が色濃い。ただ、経済状況の悪化に苦しむ市民の間には、米国の復帰による、早期の制裁解除を期待する声が強い。

 イランがこれ以上、核開発を進めると、それに対抗してサウジアラビアなど湾岸アラブ諸国が核開発に動く恐れがある。中東における核拡散を招きかねない。

 イスラエルはイランの核兵器保有を認めない。両国の軍事的緊張が高まれば、イランの影響力が強いレバノンなど地域の混乱に拍車がかかる。

 交渉の成否は核拡散防止条約(NPT)体制にも影響する。米国とイランはメンツにとらわれず大局的見地に立ち、合意を軌道に戻すことを最優先すべきだ。
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