Nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers resumed in Vienna on May 12. The members of the UN Security Council (U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China) plus Germany are aiming to finalize a deal with Iran by June 30 regarding its nuclear program.This widely anticipated agreement would put an end to economic sanctions to Iran, opening up a huge market to investment and trade in the midst of an economic crisis. At the same time, it would provide a multi-billion dollar relief for the strained Iranian economy.
Teheran has never accepted that it was pursuing a nuclear weapons development program. US public opinion is overwhelmingly favorable to an agreement, but the prospect of Iran gaining uninterrupted access to world markets has unnerved both the Israeli and Gulf state governments.
The recently reelected Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has campaigned visibly in the US against the deal. President Obama is likely to be met with Congress opposition, forcing the President to use his veto.
The end of Iran’s prolonged international economic isolation and a deal that would halt Teheran’s perceived nuclear program could very well shape political discourse in the US as the campaign to secure Presidential nomination has kicked off. In diplomatic terms, the 30th of June seems like a marathon, not a sprint for those hoping to conclude the agreement.