This has been the most dramatic week in US/Iranian relations since 1979.
Last weekend ten US Navy personnel were caught in Iranian waters, as the Pentagon
kept changing its story on how they got there. It could have been a disaster
for President Obama's big gamble on diplomacy over conflict with Iran. But
after several rounds of telephone diplomacy between Secretary of State John
Kerry and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif, the Iranian leadership - which
we are told by the neocons is too irrational to even talk to - did a most rational
thing: weighing the costs and benefits they decided it made more sense not
to belabor the question of what an armed US Naval vessel was doing just miles
from an Iranian military base. Instead of escalating, the Iranian government
fed the sailors and sent them back to their base in Bahrain.
Then on Saturday, the Iranians released four Iranian-Americans from prison,
including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian. On the US side, seven Iranians
held in US prisons, including six who were dual citizens, were granted clemency.
The seven were in prison for seeking to trade with Iran in violation of the
decades-old US economic sanctions.
This mutual release came just hours before the United Nations certified that
Iran had met its obligations under the nuclear treaty signed last summer and
that, accordingly, US and international sanctions would be lifted against the
country.
How did the "irrational" Iranians celebrate being allowed back into the international
community? They immediately announced a massive purchase of more than 100 passenger
planes from the European Airbus company, and that they would also purchase
spare parts from Seattle-based Boeing. Additionally, US oil executives have
been in Tehran negotiating trade deals to be finalized as soon as it is legal
to do so. The jobs created by this peaceful trade will be beneficial to all
parties concerned. The only jobs that should be lost are the Washington advocates
of re-introducing sanctions on Iran.
Events this week have dealt a harsh blow to Washington's neocons, who for
decades have been warning against any engagement with Iran. These true isolationists
were determined that only regime change and a puppet government in Tehran could
produce peaceful relations between the US and Iran. Instead, engagement has
worked to the benefit of the US and Iran.
Proven wrong, however, we should not expect the neocons to apologize or even
pause to reflect on their failed ideology. Instead, they will continue to call
for new sanctions on any pretext. They even found a way to complain about the
release of the US sailors - they should have never been confronted in the first
place even if they were in Iranian waters. And they even found a way to complain
about the return of the four Iranian-Americans to their families and loved
ones - the US should have never negotiated with the Iranians to coordinate
the release of prisoners, they grumbled. It was a show of weakness to negotiate!
Tell that to the families on both sides who can now enjoy the company of their
loved ones once again!
I have often said that the neocons' greatest fear is for peace to break out.
Their well-paid jobs are dependent on conflict, sanctions, and pre-emptive
war. They grow wealthy on conflict, which only drains our economy. Let's hope
that this new opening with Iran will allow many other productive Americans
to grow wealthy through trade and business ties. Let's hope many new productive
jobs will be created on both sides. Peace is prosperous!
