As the world awaits the US President Trump’s decision on Iran nuclear deal, I herewith reblog my piece from 2015 on why I oppossed the deal. Two years later, as Iran and its allies control most of Syria, and dominate Lebanon’s political scene, I still stand with my views.
Initially published in Egypt’s Ahram.
After 12 years of diplomatic proposals and 20 months of tough negotiations, theocratic Iran and world powers have reached a nuclear deal that, regardless of its potential advantages, is undoubtedly a victory for smart illiberalism and a potential kiss of death for the prospect of liberal, pluralistic democracies in the Middle East.
Both illiberal Shia and Sunni Islamists and illiberal non-Islamist autocrats could receive an enormous boost from the deal.
A few years ago, against all advice, I visited the Islamic Republic of Iran. To my surprise, I found a vibrant nation, with many liberal youth yearning for freedom and democracy. Those youth may now celebrate the lifting of sanctions and the end of isolation, but it is doubtful the nuclear deal will bridge the deep divide between them and their theocratic rulers.
For the Iranian Mullahs, the nuclear deal is an indirect acknowledgment…
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