Word of the Month;
An 'understanding' between Iran and the US?
Last month's rapprochement between the Islamic Republic and Saudi Arabia was rightly understood as a major power re-alignment within the Middle East. Subsequent developments have shed further light on the context of their agreement and, indeed, its unspecified dimensions. Their rapprochement appears to be part of a wider arrangement between Iran and the USA. It is suggested that the latter two countries have agreed to a sort of unwritten 'understanding'.
The development of Iran's nuclear abilities is such that the JCPOA has lost its utility and applicability. Moreover, any formal agreement with Iran would have to pass formal approval of both the US and Iranian legislatures, while an 'understanding' can circumvent this process. This 'understanding' will be 'less for less' but it can have utility and applicability.
The unlocking of some of the Islamic Republic's frozen funds (in South Korea and Iraq) is a part of this 'understanding'. The tightening of the noose around the Mujahidin organization (the Iranian opposition group which was on the US terrorist list for a while) is likely to be another part of this unwritten agreement. If so, this agreement encompasses additional European countries, including Albania, France, etc. We will know more in the coming months.
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