EDITORIAL | Iran Nuclear Deal Gets a Chance Under Reformist New President

Iranian voters chose former Minister of Health Masoud Pezeshkian as their new president in the country's recent national election. The reformer, who values international cooperation, defeated a hardline conservative in the runoff election. Pezeshkian will be the first Iranian president since Hassan Rouhani left office three years ago to advocate international reconciliation. His election is seen as a sign of public dissatisfaction and a call for change in the current political system in Iran. 

The new government faces a mountain of thorny problems. These include restoring the 2015 nuclear agreement with the United States and Europe and reforming Iran's struggling economy and a society in which personal freedom has been severely restricted. 

To think that Pezeshkian can rapidly move to solve these problems would be far too optimistic a viewpoint. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei retains the final say in national affairs in Iran. The president functions merely as chief administrator. He must also deal with the parliament. In this case, 70% of the seats are controlled by hardline conservatives. 

Iranian Public's Choice

Initially, Pezeshkian was given little chance in the presidential election. Yet, Iranian voters made him their choice. Khamenei and other top leaders in Iran should take the will of the people seriously and not block Pezeshkian's reform agenda. This presidential election was called after former president Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline conservative who was at odds with the West, died in a helicopter crash this May. 

During the election campaign, Pezeshkian addressed the issues of acute unemployment and high inflation. He also argued that Iran needed to revive the nuclear agreement and persuade the West to lift sanctions it has imposed on Tehran. 

Reviving the Iran Nuclear Deal

The core provision of the nuclear agreement sets the conditions for removing Western sanctions. It says they will be removed in exchange for Iran limiting its nuclear development program.  

In 2018 under the Trump administration, the US exited the agreement, contending that it was dysfunctional. In retaliation, the Iranian regime then pursued further nuclear development. That gave it the capacity to enrich uranium to the 60% level. In other words, it is fast approaching the 90% enriched level required to produce nuclear weapons. 

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has shown no intention to revive the Iran nuclear deal. Furthermore, Biden's chief opponent in the November US presidential election is former president Donald Trump. With Trump apparently leading in the race, Biden is in no position to easily offer concessions. 

Conditions for Progress

To make progress, Iran needs to display concrete actions. For example, curbing its nuclear development program and cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Iran also continues to provide support to the Islamic fundamentalist organizations Hamas and the pro-Iran, Lebanon-based militia Hezbollah. Moreover, it has furnished Russia with numerous drones for use during the latter's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. In the future, it must refrain from such behavior that disturbs the international order.

Japan enjoys good ties with Iran. Therefore, Japanese government should make diplomatic efforts to facilitate dialogue between the US and Iran.

RELATED:

• EDITORIAL | Next Iranian President Needs to Win in a Free and Fair Election
• How Will the Houthi Attacks on Commercial Ships Impact India and Japan?
• [Speaking Out] Deploring Japan’s Limited Sense of Crisis
  
  

(Read the editorial in Japanese.)

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun