In what can only be described as the breakthrough of the decade, Iran, the US and five other world leaders have come to an agreement concerning the Middle Eastern country’s nuclear programme. This is a milestone in the tense and at times aggressive relationship that the US and Iran have had since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. This is also a landmark achievement in the presidency of Barack Obama and, no doubt, in that of Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, a man many in Iran have welcomed for his moderate views. The deal, signed during the Geneva talks, is the first step in a six-month process, which looks towards ending, once and for all, the deadlock over Iran’s nuclear ambitions — ambitions it has always maintained have been to produce energy for electricity. The deal will work both ways: Iran will take stringent measures to assure the world community that it is not enriching uranium to make nuclear weapons and the US will partly lift the sanctions that have been imposed on Iran since 1979. According to this latest understanding, Iran will limit its enrichment of uranium to five percent, which is high enough for electricity generation but too low for nuclear weapons production, will dilute its 20 percent enriched uranium and turn it into oxide, will not install more centrifuges and will allow more inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) among other provisions. In return, Iran will get some $ 7 billion in sanctions relief and no new sanctions will be imposed. The oil-rich country, which has been stopped from exporting oil, will be able to look forward to the possibility of having this sanction removed if it lives up to its part of the bargain. Also, trade of some items will be allowed to help alleviate the lot of the Iranians who have suffered from economic misery for many years. To say that this deal is a triumph of sense over the usual posturing of aggression and harsh words is to put it lightly. Two countries, usually thought of as being at daggers drawn, have cast aside their notorious differences and have decided to resolve a decades-long conflict. This is not the kind of good news we hear every day. It could signal the return of Iran to the mainstream world of development and progress. Iran’s traditional opponents, Israel and Saudi Arabia, have been cautious in their statements, with Saudi Arabia quietly welcoming the step and Israel unable to hide its unhappiness. Pakistan should sit up and take note — Iran has always had a stake in Afghanistan, exerting a certain amount of influence there. After the US withdrawal in 2014, Iran can be looked at as a partner for development in the region and Pakistan can reap the benefits of a good relationship with Iran. The fact that the US and Iran are turning over a new leaf from their usual relationship of distrust to one of increasing confidence may just be a sign of better things to come. The Iranian people have gone through extreme hardship, economic and otherwise; the sanctions even stopped dire medical aid reaching the country, leaving the people with little choice. Iran’s previous president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was too confrontational, an attitude that help to swell fears about Iran’s nuclear programme. The fact that President Rouhani has been working on negotiations concerning the nuclear programme for many years earned him the title of the ‘diplomatic sheikh’, a name that is bringing about diplomatic advances for his country. It is hoped this deal is seen through all its phases so that tensions between Iran and the rest of the world ease and lessen with time. *