The hopes for a new reset in Iran’s relations with the West on the back of reformist Hassan Rouhani’s landslide victory in the June presidential poll are being put to a critical test, as the rhetoric against the Islamic Republic continues in full swing.
Increasingly frustrated over a stalemate in talks with six world
powers (the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and
Germany) over Iran’s nuclear program, Israeli prime-minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, in a hotly debated interview to CBS, warned
that the clock is ticking and there is no way for the window of
diplomacy to be kept open forever.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing is no less dangerous a species than a
wolf in wolf’s skin – it’s the same breed of a predator one
should never trust. It should be made toothless, if not done away
with by a hunter. This is how Mr. Netanyahu described the
landmark changing of the guard in Iran. Expanding the metaphor,
the wolf in wolf’s skin is outgoing Iranian president Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad – a vagabond, reckless leader who was never scared to
threaten Israel and the West. A leader who showed a
non-cooperative approach in dealing with the “big six” of world
powers, which was desperately trying to resolve the Iranian
nuclear crisis – so far, with no signs of success.
Meanwhile, the wolf in sheep’s clothing is no one else than
incoming Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, whose inauguration is
slated for Aug.3. “Smile and build a bomb. He brags about the
fact that he talked to the Europeans while completing a nuclear
conversion plan. I think they can’t be allowed to get away with
it”, Netanyahu lamented.
The move got an angry rebuke from Tehran. Iran’s foreign ministry
spokesman Abbas Aragchi was quoted as saying Israel seeks to
damage relations between Iran and the world. Mr. Aragchi believes
Netanyahu’s harsh rhetoric is explained by Israel’s anger over
Hassan Rouhani’s victory in the June presidential election. The
comment was followed by the response made by incoming president
Rouhani himself. “When some (the United States and Israel) say
that all options are on the table and when a miserable regional
country (Israel) says such things, it makes you laugh,”
Rouhani said.
Meantime, Netanyahu’s message is crystal clear: the Jewish state
has no trust in the new Iranian perestroika set to be conducted
under soft-spoken Hassan Rouhani (the wolf in sheep’s clothing).
Therefore, all options are on the table: if required Israel
can go for a military strike to resolve the Iranian issue on its
own – with no endorsement from the Obama administration and the
rest of the world, which, according to the Israeli side, is
seemingly dragging its feet and losing valuable time to prevent
Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb.
In another development indicating that the present dead calm in
the Iranian nuclear crisis might soon pave the way for another
storm, leading US neocons resorted to their harsh rhetoric,
beating the drums of war. “Israel should have attacked Iran
yesterday – every day that goes by puts Israel in greater danger,
every day Iran makes more progress,” John Bolton, a former US
ambassador to the UN warned in an interview to The Jerusalem
Post.
However, what is much more indicative is not Mr. Bolton’s
statement, which could have been largely expected from a noted
hawk from the administration of President George W. Bush, but the
first signal from the Obama administration that it is getting
growingly skeptical over the prospects of nuclear talks under the
incoming president Rouhani.
In what can be seen as another cold shower to Iran’s reformist
leader weeks before the start of his presidential term, US
Ambassador to the UN Rosemary DiCarlo said this Monday the US
would stick to its sanctions and isolation policy, conducted
under president Ahmadinejad if Iran shows no compliance with UN
Security Council resolutions. In a fresh attempt to renew
pressure on Iran, a panel of experts submitted a report to the UN
Security Council sanctions committee which accused Tehran of
repeatedly violating UN sanctions while launching “Shahab-1” and
“Shahab-3” ballistic missiles last year.
However, an attempt to impose new international sanctions on Iran
failed this week as the UN Security Council was split over
whether Iran’s missile tests last year violated UN Security
Council resolutions. Diplomatic sources say Russia was the most
outspoken in its opposition to sanctions, while China also voiced
its reservations.
In a sharp contrast to Rosemary DiCarlo’s statement, Russia's
deputy ambassador to the UN, Pyotr Ilyichov, said Russia opposes
further sanctions and does not see an alternative to a diplomatic
settlement of the standoff over Iran’s nuclear and missile
programs. He went further by hinting Moscow has pinned its hopes
on the new Iranian leader – contrary to renewed attempts to
isolate Iran.
All in all, it seems that the Iranian issue is evolving
into another divisive issue in US-Russian relations, already
overloaded by a heap of problems after the short period
Washington and Moscow seemed to really try and find a common
voice on Iran.
Does all of this mean that the much-awaited reset with reformist
Rouhani is doomed? The situation remains unclear. While Netanyahu
continues his exercise in war-mongering rhetoric, high-ranking
diplomats from the big six of world powers met in Brussels this
week to discuss the road map for future nuclear talks, which are
to be held "as soon as possible." No date for the new
talks is fixed so far.
However, what is really important is not the date and the
venue, but the substance. The talks, seen as dancing with the
Iranian wolves, would hardly take the negotiating process out of
its present deadlock.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.