Commentary: Mutual trust needed to carry on Iran nuke talks

Source:Xinhua Published: 2013-10-17 16:20:55

World powers and Iran agreed on Wednesday to continue their nuclear talks next month in Geneva while Tehran said it hopes for a "new phase in our relations."

It's time for the United States and its allies, which have been somewhat skeptical and uncertain, to now build mutual trust with the Islamic republic and nurture it with sincerity.

"We no longer want to walk in the dark and uncertainty and have doubts about the future."

What Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters stands for the myriad sanctions and the serious toll taken on the country's economy and people over the past 34 years. It is also the reason why Hassan Rouhani could win in the first round of Iran's presidential election earlier this year.

However, although the United States and other world powers spoke positively of the nuclear proposal from Iran, scholars and advisers are more cautiously optimistic about the US-Iran rapprochement.

As Iran promises to offer complete transparency with regard to its uranium enrichment program, it also draws "red lines" -- it will not suspend uranium enrichment or ship stockpiles of purified material abroad, which could be a hardball for the United States and its allies.

For both countries, the decades-long antagonism is still a hurdle. USlawmakers on Wednesday demanded tougher economic sanctions on Iran, laying out their own red lines and striking no chord with President Barack Obama's momentous phone calls with Rouhani.

In Israel, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said it is time to impose tougher sanctions on Tehran. He has been making efforts in recent weeks to sway the international community, including countries of the P5+1 talks, urging them not to accept half-measures.

Although the international community wishes to wave "bon voyage" to the P5+1 talks, trust between Iran and the West, especially the United States, is still hard to secure and the road to a final agreement will no doubt be bumpy.

It is clear that Iran plays a significant role in peace and stability in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, as well as the Middle East region. A successful negotiation is in the mutual interest of both Iran and the United States.

When Iran holds out an olive branch and expresses its hope to establish trust, the United States and its allies should accept it with sincerity, freeing the countries from binary opposition and making efforts to achieve an epic breakthrough.

Posted in: Mid-East

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