November 27, 2013 12:09 AM
By Rami G. Khouri
The Daily Star

Story Summary

The most striking implication of the agreement signed in Geneva last weekend to ensure that Iran’s nuclear industry does not develop nuclear weapons while gradually removing the sanctions on the country is more about Iran than it is about Iran’s nuclear industry.

It is also likely to trigger the resumption of the suspended domestic political and cultural evolution of Iran, which also will spur new developments across the Middle East.

The reason that Iran will be able to impact conditions around the region so significantly stems from what I believe is the most significant underlying lesson of the Iran sanctions/nuclear agreement: It reflects the fact that Iran steadfastly resisted and boldly defied American-Israeli-led sanctions, assassinations, industrial sabotage and explicit military threats for over a decade, and finally caused the U.S. and allies to accept the two long-standing principal demands from Tehran – to accept the enrichment of uranium in Iran for peaceful purposes, and to drop the threats of changing the regime in Tehran through military force.

Read more: http://dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Columnist/2013/Nov-27/239003-iran-deal-could-reconfigure-the-mideast.ashx#ixzz2loy1U8OI
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)