Iran prepares for victory lap

© AP

Hassan Rowhani

Tehran has barely tolerated for the past few years the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's theatrics and tantrums on the nuclear issue, but the gloves are off, finally, as the US-Iran talks decidedly enter a phase where the American media is wondering whether to call the deal an 'agreement', 'a 'memorandum of understanding', a 'treaty' and so on. The diplomats of the permanent members of the UN Security Council have just begun consultations in New York about a resolution formally lifting the UN sanctions on Iran if a deal is struck.

Israel repeatedly resorted to subversive activities such as murdering Iranian scientists and Netanyahu never lost an opportunity to caricature Iran as responsible for all that is going wrong in this troubled world of ours, often in vituperative language. Iran held back from retaliating even in the face of the most outrageous provocation. But, no more — and, when it comes to plain speaking, Netanyahu will be no match for Tehran.

Last week, the influential aide to Iran's Supreme Leader (formerly foreign minister) Ali Akbar Velayati called Netanyahu a "vagabond", while referring to the latter's appearance on the Hill recently to castigate Iran. Yesterday, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei used another colorful expression - "Zionist clown". To be sure, Iran senses that Netanyahu has lost the plot and the latest letter from the pro-Israel Republican lawmakers in the US Congress would be the proverbial nail on the coffin of the Israeli campaign against President Barack Obama's decision to engage Tehran.

Make no mistake, Iran is with the eddies of US domestic politics. It knows Obama calls the shots in the foreign policy domain and, more important, that he is one of the most underrated statesmen in contemporary world politics - in his cerebral thinking, his vision for America and his grit to push through doctrine that the US should not blunder into anymore Middle Eastern wars. It is entirely conceivable that one of the highlights of Obama's presidency could be a visit to Iran.

Besides, Iran has done its homework and it is a preposterous claim to make that this would be Obama's deal with Iran, and not the United States'. Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif (who is a scholar on international law) offered some much-needed tutoring to the ignorant US lawmakers on the subject of the interplay of national law with international law in foreign policies.

At any rate, once the UN Security Council lifts the sanctions against Iran, the floodgates are opened and Iran's integration with the West becomes irreversible. No future US administration will want to deny itself the pleasure of doing business with such a wealthy country like Iran. The Big Oil in Texas won't allow such a thing to happen, either.

In his speech in Tehran on Thursday, Khamenei praised the Iranian team of negotiators - "good, honest and sincere people who are working for the advancement of the country in future" - making its clear that the deal in the offing enjoys his full approval and blessing. It is a big message that will resonate within Iran's corridors of power. Khamenei made these remarks while addressing the members of the powerful Assembly of Experts, which comprises the crème la crème of the Iranian religious (and political) elites.

Incidentally, Khamenei also had the satisfaction that the Assembly of Experts elected as its new chief in an open election a close, longtime associate, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, who, interestingly, defeated the former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani by a vote of 47-26. Speculation has already begun in the western media that 83-year old Yazdi would be Iran's Supreme Leader some day. ( )

Suffice it to say, contrary to doomsday predictions of a divided house, an extraordinary degree of unity is evident today within the Iranian regime on the imperatives of the forthcoming nuclear deal. Zarif personally briefed the Assembly of Experts yesterday regarding the status of the negotiations over the nuclear deal. In all respects, it is a poignant moment for the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Thirty-five years of siege is being lifted shortly.

It is a big moment not only for the western world but also for the Asian region that the last frontier in energy security is approaching - especially for China. The forthcoming visit of President Xi Jinping to Iran is scheduled with perfect timing. According to Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the outcome of the visit promises to be "dramatic".

Of course, Iran is extremely well-placed to choose its energy partners. The 'Look East' policy crafted by the former president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad has lost its relevance today. The newspaper, which is close to the power centres in Tehran, commented today in an editorial,

"Exporting gas via pipelines hinges on establishing strong diplomatic and international relations with both regional and trans-regional nations. Iran should develop close ties with states such as Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq and India to boost gas exports.

Gas export via pipelines is contingent upon concluding long-term deals since the process is capital intensive and short-term contracts are uneconomical. Pakistan and India had agreed to lay pipelines to buy Iranian gas. However, New Delhi reneged under pressure from certain states, while Islamabad kept its pledges and prepared infrastructures for the transfer of gas from Iran.

Since the Europeans are keen on importing gas from Iran, the Persian Gulf country had earlier held talks with Switzerland and the European Union to transfer gas to the Green Continent. Technical equipment and the development of infrastructures are required to lay the ground for gas export to Europe. Currently Iran is capable of exporting gas to Europe due to increased output." [Emphasis added.]