The big thaw

Diplomatic contacts at many levels between the two nations in recent weeks did not culminate in the much hoped for historic hand shake between Barack Obama and the Iranian president,Hassan Rouhani,on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly UNGA on Tuesday. Clearly,Rouhani wanted to avoid offending conservatives at home,many of whom remain sceptical of his outreach to a country they have long denounced as the Great Satan. Obama,too,has problems in America,where Iran has been demonised for decades. Yet,within the inescapable domestic political constraints,Obama and Rouhani,in their speeches to the UNGA,have signalled enough flexibility to resolve the nuclear dispute and the political commitment for the long-overdue rapprochement.

Rouhani reaffirmed Irans solemn assurance not to acquire nuclear weapons,but upheld Tehrans right to enrich uranium under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Obama,in turn,endorsed Irans right to have access to peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Obama referred to Americas interference in the internal affairs of Iran during the Cold War and reassured Tehran that Washington is not seeking a regime change. The two leaders have indeed set the stage for formal negotiations on Thursday between the foreign ministers of Iran and the major powers. Washington and Tehran now need to finalise a grand bargain that involves credible actions from Iran to prove the peaceful orientation of its nuclear programme,the lifting of US and international sanctions,and bilateral cooperation on regional security in the Middle East. Time is of the essence. The current window of opportunity to reorder the geopolitics of the Middle East will not remain open for long.