The latest round of negotiations between the P5 + 1 countries and Iran about Iran's nuclear program has ended with a proposed deal that involves increased oversight and inspection of Iran's nuclear facilities, Iran's agreement not to enrich uranium over 5% for the next 6 months and neutralize all of their existing 20% enriched uranium, among other things. In exchange, there will be no new sanctions placed on the country for the next 6 months as long as it upholds its end of the deal, as well some relief in gold and oil sanctions and the automobile sector.
Expectedly, the government of Israel and the Republican Party immediately condemned the deal as "dangerous", a "historic mistake". (Maybe Netanyahu is calling it a mistake on Iran's part, because he would never allow nuclear inspectors into his own country...but that's unlikely.) Admittedly, said parties make their living off of fear mongering around Iran and Obama's weak stance in dealing with them, but it's still rather disappointing to see how blindly and religiously these opponents will try to strike down a deal that frankly is a pretty good start. Here are a couple reasons why:
Sets the model for future negotiations, including with other countries
Relations between Iran and the US have been historically fraught with tension and distrust. Any deal that both sides can walk away from with cautious optimism is a good first step for future talks on not only Iran's nuclear program, but other regional issues like Syria. Showing that the two countries can actually sit down with the rest of the Security Council starts to build a level of trust that should carry through to future negotiations. This also bodes well for negotiations with other nuclear or would-be nuclear powers, like North Korea, India, and Pakistan. That's not to say that all the hard work is done, but these negotiations can act as a model and hopefully serve as encouragement to the US and other nations.
Sitting around a table is preferable to fighting a war
The proposed deal that's been struck isn't perfect, and it isn't everlasting, but anything that keeps Israel or the US from leaning towards military action is a good thing. If Iran is able to hold their end of the deal for 6 months, they will weaken Israel and US military hawks' case that a strike on Iran's nuclear reactors is the only way to resolve this situation. Of course, if Iran is seen as reneging on the deal, even if it's only the perception, this will hurt the pro-negotations side.
It helps to re-establish the United States' legitimacy as a partner in international cooperation
Starting with George W. Bush and continuing into Obama's second term, the United States was increasingly seen, especially by the international community, as a unilateral player on the world stage. With the exception of Libya, the US time and time again preferred to go at it alone in dealing with international conflict. This came to a head in September of this year, when Obama threatened military action against the Assad regime in Syria in retaliation for Assad's supposed use of chemical weapons on civilians. Russia stepped up and was able to negotiate a deal wherein Assad's weapon stockpiles would begin to be dismantled under UN auspices. The Iran deal is a chance for the US to once again show that it can function within the UN to achieve its objectives, without resorting to unilateral military action. It's a good first step to showing that the US understands the limits to its power and reach, and the benefits to working with allies within the international community.
The deal on the table right now is a good first step in nuclear negotiations, and has the benefit of encouraging the partners to work together for the next 6 months to not only fulfill their ends of the bargain, but also build trust and a level of mutual respect.
