Iran-UN Nuclear Negotiation

Iran-UN Nuclear Negotiation

Introduction

The controversy over the Iranian nuclear file has continued unabated, but a possible opening to break the deadlock now exists. This briefing is based on the conviction that opportunities exist for a comprehensive settlement, avoiding the inevitably destabilizing use of force or the development by Iran of a nuclear arsenal. To support a diplomatic solution to this conflict, we present a series of recommendations which take into account the domestic constraints of Iran and the E3+3 states and sets the framework for trust-building and long-term cooperation between the parties.

Research Question

Research question for the research is:

What are the facts on which Iranian government is negotiating with UN?

Hypothesis

There is a positive impact of negotiation in resolving the existing issues of Iran nuclear program.

Review of the Literature

“Thirty years of estrangement” between Iran and US has led to “thirty years of futility” in the relationship. The absence of diplomatic relations has created a profound sense of misunderstanding about the motivations and intentions of each side. Political judgments have become increasingly based on distant observations of the other's behaviour, as opposed to in-depth exchange of ideas. Misconceptions, stereotypes and demonization have as a result filled the vacuum. The worst fears and preconceptions shape the narrative. So, even if a palatable offer is put on the table, it will be treated with suspicion. Opportunities are missed and positions become more entrenched. For this reason, we suggest an informal track to support official negotiations, where trust-building could be a central component of any progress and careful attention paid to incentivized phasing and sequencing. Before President Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972, the ground was prepared between China and the United States by diplomats led by National Security Adviser, Dr Henry Kissinger, in long term trust building over three years working in the context of continued sabotage, sanctions and pressure and while the war in Vietnam was still raging. These meetings took place in confidential settings, without public exposure making it look as if the negotiators were making concessions and coming from a position of weakness.

Generally, when we see a regime as unfriendly and threatening, we assume the worst motives and intentions, which are integral to our threat perception. If the Pahlavi monarchy had remained in power, some 20 nuclear power plants would now be operative in Iran with US and European support. “I don't think the issue of proliferation came up,” Henry Kissinger later recalled, who was US Secretary of State at the time the plants were being planned, in a telling interview with The Washington Post in 2005.

Political expediency allows our allies to do dangerous things whilst we chastise and punish our non-allies for doing the same. This is not to absolve Iran of some of the missteps of its revolutionary past and the destabilizing excesses which have occurred since, but today the real challenge is to set the frame for a serious negotiation which builds on the area of potential common agreement, addresses the politics and deals ...