Thursday, November 28, 2013

STATEMENT ON THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR DEAL

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.