MUSCAT, OMAN–The United States of America (USA) seems desperate to buy peace with Iran as the American President Barack Obama has sent a letter to Iran’s supreme spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni. The timing is significant with strife in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Iraq, Syria, Libya and Tunisia are engulfed by terrorist activities.
The attack on the Tunisian army two days ago in which 5 soldiers lost their lives and many others were injured seems to be weighing on the minds of the American policy makers. The attack near the Algerian border is perhaps a ploy to disrupt the presidential polls in Tunisia slated for 23 November 2014. The American think tank perhaps wants to settle the Iran nuclear programme issue as President Obama is desperately in need of new allies to fight the ISIS and try for peace in the region.
A long-term agreement with Iran will seek to curtail the nuclear programme after extracting guarantees that the programme’s aim is for sole peaceful purposes. The talks slated in Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman on 9th and 10th November 2014 will see the American Secretary of State John Kerry and the European Union Chief Ashton participate and prepare the ground work with the Iranian representatives for the six- nation meeting for the full-fledged talks with Iran on 18th November 2014 in Vienna. It can be expected that this meeting is most likely to end in an agreement with Iran on the nuclear issue. The Sultanate of Oman, a close ally of both Iran and the United States, is playing the role of peace maker in the region.
The main reason why Iran and the U. S want to bury the hatchet is the explosive situation in the Middle East with bombings and killings which have become a routine. Iran has lost much economically because of the long-time embargo on trade. Iranian economy will see a vast improvement if the nuclear issue is settled as it will gain new trading partners and also sell its oil in a peaceful manner.
All eyes will be riveted on these meetings which will decide the potential allies for the United States in bringing calm and peace to the simmering MENA region. This can result in more jobs and a better life style for the countries spending more and more on arms to secure peace within their countries and on the borders. These countries know the price of peace. It is better to live in peace rather than in pieces.
By Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui
[symple_box color=”blue” text_align=”left” width=”100%” float=”none”]
Well-known columnist and political analyst Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui has been a political observer and commentator on the international scene for the last 20 years. He started writing about the Middle East when he was Sub-Editor-cum-Staff Reporter in The Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad, India during 1995-1996. He writes for The Moroccan Times, The Tunis Times, India Tomorrow, Bilkul and The Etemaad Urdu Daily published from India. He also writes for newspapers in the Sultanate of Oman. [/symple_box]
