The ZF today expresses its gravest reservations about
the Iranian nuclear deal recently struck in Geneva . The deal, brokered on
behalf of the P5+1 countries, has been widely hailed as a major breakthrough in
the long-running standoff over Iran ’s nuclear programme. However, by offering
to reduce the level of sanctions without gaining corresponding cast-iron
guarantees that the nuclear programme is only intended for civilian usage, the
international community has let Iran off the hook. Apparently desperate to
believe in the moderation of Hassan Rouhani, Western negotiators have now eased
the pressure on a regime that has a track record of duplicity and misdirection,
is currently knee-deep in Syrian blood, and might well soon trigger a nuclear
arms race in the most volatile region on the planet.
Failure to dismantle the infrastructure for
war
The main problem of the negotiations is the failure to
address Iranian facilities that are clearly designed for the development of
nuclear weapons. Under the Geneva deal, Tehran will be allowed to keep both its
heavy water reactor in Arak and thousands of centrifuges – key elements for
military, not civilian, nuclear production.
The threat of duplicity
The Iranian regime has a track record of duplicity over
its nuclear programme, and there is a very real threat that the easing of
sanctions will provide it with the cover it needs to complete a nuclear weapon.
Iran could easily follow in the footsteps of North Korea , surreptitiously
continuing its programme until it had reached the point of no return.
The reality of the Ayatollah’s
regime
Despite the charm offensive of Hassan Rouhani, Iran is
still the same state it has been since 1979– a reactionary, messianic theocracy
under the total control of the Ayatollahs. This Islamist regime shares the
ideology of the radical extremists who commit terrorist atrocities across the
globe, and has no regard for democracy or human rights. Those seeking proof of
the reality of Tehran ’s ambitions and ruthlessness should look no further than
Syria , where Iranian expertise, weapons and soldiers have played a central role
in the brutal massacring of the civilian population.
The catastrophic implications of a nuclear
bomb
There must be no misunderstanding the seriousness of
Iran procuring a nuclear weapon. Should this worst-case scenario occur, it would
most likely trigger an arms race in the Middle East . The nuclear brinksmanship
between the US and the Soviet Union was arguably the most dangerous period in
humanity’s history; for it to be repeated in this volatile and unstable part of
the world would be a global catastrophe. Additionally, a nuclear Tehran
represents a unique threat to Israel , given the frequent and shameless calls
for the annihilation of the Jewish state made by the Iranian
leadership.