Iran emerges from its troubles!

There were two items of good news about Iran last week. The first was the agreement arrived at between six major world powers upon a timetable and framework for negotiating a comprehensive agreement to 'end the confrontation over Iran's nuclear programme.'
The other is that Iran and Britain have officially resumed diplomatic relations, which were cut off after students stormed the British embassy in Teheran in 2011.  
Both items are likely to bring cheer to Iran and the six major powers -- USA, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany. Iran, a major regional power in the near east, has been in a serious political and economic bind ever since the commencement of the Iranian Revolution under the late Imam Khomeini and the US embassy hostage crisis way back in 1979. In its roller coaster political ups and downs, Iran was subjected to various economic sanctions that limited its capacity to use its oil and gas money for economic development. With the six powers accusing Iran of uranium enrichment, which could produce nuclear weapons, it was difficult for any one of them to work out a solution. The US does not have diplomatic relations with Iran. These constraints had inhibited closer interaction on the nuclear issue.
It is only after Mr. Rohani, who is a moderate in his ideas and attitude towards the western powers, was elected as Iranian president that the Iranian conundrum seems to be nearing a solution.
All sides seem to want success in the first round of comprehensive deal. Every side wants to establish a set of agenda for the talks and to set the priority of the issues without going into substantive discussion. Yet the Americans seem to be determined to have detailed discussion on uranium enrichment, Iran's heavy water reactor projects, its past military research, and its ballistic research programme.
Iran is now subject to a temporary six month deal to freeze its programme. In return, Iran will get 'modest relief' from sanctions. There is no doubt that Iran has an enrichment programme. But the western powers do not want Iran to use this to build a nuclear weapon quickly, or even undetected. Iran, because of the crippling western sanctions, has become a poor country. It needs relief to provide welfare for its people, which Rohani has promised. It also wants to 'preserve' its 'right to carry out peaceful nuclear programmes like other parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The world waits with apprehension as to what Iran might do once sanctions are eased. The west will not allow Iran to pull rabbits out of its hat once things return to normalcy. Technology is one area where Iran will not be allowed a free rein.
Bangladesh and Iran have historical and deep cultural relations. Today, thousands of junior Bangladeshi doctors and workers are employed there. But fresh employment is rare as sanctions have bitten into Iran's marrow. Intellectual exchanges among institutes are also few and far between. India, on the other hand, has many programmes with Iran that allow its students and teachers to work in Iran.
The Iranian currency is also on the wane. It is as weak as ours. Our trade and shipping volume was substantive in the 1980 and 1990s.Now, however, it has decreased. We now have to be aware of the changing sanctions regime. Once it normalises we can start buying more oil and gas from Iran at competitive prices.

The writer is a former Bangladeshi diplomat to Teheran.E-mail: [email protected]