AN interim agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear programme will enter into force on January 20, it has been announced.The deal, agreed in talks with world powers in November, envisages easing of some international sanctions on Tehran.

US President Barack Obama welcomed the news, but said more work was needed to strike a long-term deal. He threatened new sanctions if there was a breach.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, said the world powers would now ask the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog,the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to verify the deal’s implementation.
Baroness Ashton represents the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the US, Russia, China, France and Britain – plus Germany, in the talks with Iran.
This is certainly good news and brings a sigh of relief, because Iran was another source of tension and threat of yet another war adventure by the US and its allies. Finally, good sense prevailed and this threat of attacking Iran has receded, giving way to diplomacy which has succeeded to a great extent in diffusing the situation and averting what could have another human tragedy, although a permanent solution is yet to be clinched and this could be a bit more difficult. But a big headway has been made and negotiators should work persistently and assiduously to ensure there is a permanent and peaceful resolution to the issue. There is no other alternative, because we cannot afford to have another senseless war in the region which is already engulfed in so many wars and violent conflicts.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said that while implementation of the agreement was a critical, significant step, it was the next phase – of negotiating a comprehensive deal – that posed a “far greater challenge”, to guarantee Iran’s nuclear programme was peaceful.
“The negotiations will be very difficult, but they are the best chance that we have to be able to resolve this critical national security issue peacefully and durably.”
One of the immediate benefits of this deal is that oil prices will fall as more oil will now be released on the global market.
According to a Reuters report, Brent crude slipped to $106 a barrel on Wednesday after hitting a two-month low as the prospect of a possible rise in Iranian oil exports weighed in.
Investors looked ahead to weekly oil inventories data from the United States to assess shorter term supply.
“If the 4 million fall in API crude inventories is vastly different from the EIA, then we may see prices move,” said Christopher Bellew, an analyst at brokerage Jefferies Bache in London.
“WTI has become disconnected and represents very much the domestic prices in the U.S. and Brent represents global demand and geo-political factors like potentially more Iranian exports.”
February Brent crude was down 21 cents to $106.18 a barrel by 1330 GMT, after hitting its lowest level since November 12 at $105.80 a barrel.
Of course, the spinoff benefits from oil price decrease to the consumer will be great, because the cost of transportation of goods and services should decrease and so too should oil and oil-based products.
In what is considered a civilised and modern world, negotiations and diplomacy should always be the desired method of resolving conflicts. Wars and violent resolution of conflicts should not be even considered an option anymore as they have resulted in too many tragedies and human suffering as experience has shown and is still showing.