What We Learned From the Iran Nuclear Deal
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - also called the Iran Deal - signed between Iran, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, plus Germany), and the European Union on July 14, 2015, has become a landmark agreement in the field of conflict resolution. Considering that there were thirty-five years of a great deal of mistrust between the two main actors - Iran and the US - an agreement could not be reached without years of strategic preparation and trust-building through dialogue, before official negotiations could begin. In retrospect, policy analysts and experts have lauded the twenty months of negotiations and the carefully planned stages that managed to survive even when the negotiating countries and their allies were confronted with numerous political crises.
Many observers have heaped praise on the strategy, harmony, and professionalism of the Iranian and the US negotiating teams and also the Presidents of both countries who stood firm to reach this breakthrough deal. The selection of John Kerry and Javad Zarif - two anti-war chiefs of the nuclear team who were deeply aware of the negative result of the failure of the nuclear talks – is reported to have exuded “absolute confidence” in both teams. Another noted strength of the negotiation process was Iran’s acceptance of John Kerry over Hillary Clinton to lead the talks, which has been analyzed as having helped to accelerate the process. This agreement, though, did not happen within the two years of formal negotiations that the public witnessed. Rather, several stages of elite dialogue, secret talks between diplomats, and backchannels contributed to this.
2002: Dialogue before Negotiation
In 2002, The Iran Project based in New York City was founded to initiate a U.S.-Iran informal dialogue. With $870 million from the Rockefeller Brother Fund, the project began to bridge and set up the first meetings between Iranian and American elites in early 2002. Dialogue between the two sides continued for more than a decade with well-placed participants from the two countries, including Javad Zarif, Tehran’s then chief nuclear negotiator. Later on, but running parallel to this project, the publication of numerous articles and analyses pertaining to Iran, were strategically added from of a group of journalists and former high-ranking diplomats.
Ergo, these behind-the-scenes dialogues helped to reduce any apprehension that either side felt, then pave the way for formal talks to begin.
2008: Five Years To Create Context
From 2008, after the US and Iran became convinced about the importance of direct engagement, acknowledging a mutual relationship, and admitted that the dispute was amenable to negotiation, official meetings between the two governments started. Ambassador William Burns was selected - based on his knowledge of Iranian diplomacy and culture - and dispatched to meet with his Iranian counterparts; joining envoys from Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia. Between 2008 and 2013, several secret meetings took place in Oman and other locations to discuss what was negotiable, and what norms and standards would govern the process of negotiation. In addition, negotiations also examined the proper way to handle thirty five years of a non-sustained diplomatic contact, filled with mutual suspicion and grievance between the U.S. and Iran.
The Agreement
After eleven years of consistent dialogues, the negotiating parties sat at the same table in public on July 14, 2015, and reached the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or "Iran Deal." The strong efforts that the two American and Iranian Presidents’ administrations put in during the last two years to reach this peace agreement to prevent war has opened a new chapter in negotiation techniques in the field of conflict resolution. After the deal was signed, “the invisible man” - John Kerry’s deputy, Ambassador Burns - appeared in public and in op-eds and interviews and discussed how difficult the entire process was. “It was really an unknown territory. And, you know, I was skeptical that we could make much progress. And I think it's fair to say that our Iranian counterparts were also skeptical given the history of this issue.”
This agreement will no doubt go down in the annals of history as a pivotal period in US-Iran relations. Currently though, the next challenge would be for both presidents to do some more work in making this deal acceptable to everyone. President Obama must convince Congress to place the Iran Deal into effect - the congressional review period ends in mid-September – while President Rouhani of Iran is still educating domestic hardliners on the benefits of global peace and “win-win” agreement for all parties.
### Photo 1 - Secretary Kerry Taking a Walk with Iranian Foreign Minster Zarif During Nuclear Program Talks. By Flickr User U.S. Department of State.
Photo 2 - Under Secretary Sherman Laid Down a Poster-Board Sheet That Outlined the Remaining Items to be Negotiated. By Flickr User U.S. Department of State.