It’s too early to talk of stable, lasting peace in the Middle East: Irina Fyodorova

Irina Fyodorova, senior research fellow at the Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), commented to Alpha News on the conclusion of a peace deal between Iran and the United States.

“I think that the memorandum of understanding, as it is called, which was signed electronically yesterday, provides only for the beginning of negotiations on issues that are really important for both Iran and the United States. I am referring to Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s support for its allies in the region, and other issues. This includes the payment of funds to Iran from frozen assets for previously sold Iranian oil. Therefore, it seems to me that it is too early to say that some stable and lasting peace has already been achieved in this region. In addition, the process of negotiations that will begin after the official signing of the agreement on June 19 will also be influenced by the internal situation in the United States. There are both supporters of this agreement and its opponents. The situation is similar in Iran. There are supporters of this agreement, and there are ultraconservative representatives of the elite who oppose any agreement with the United States, considering it a significant concession from Iran,” Fyodorova said.

In the expert’s view, Israel’s position remains one of the main risks to the agreement.

“There is another factor in all this, the factor of Israel, which has already stated through its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that it does not consider itself bound by any obligations specified in this treaty, as it is not a party to it. Therefore, it seems premature to talk about how long-term this agreement will be, if it is reached at all after 60 days of negotiations. And finally, I hope that on June 19 we will see the text of this memorandum, because so far the arguments are quite unfounded. Iran’s version and the US version of what is included in this agreement are somewhat different. Therefore, first of all, it is worth waiting for the publication of the document itself and after that draw more definite conclusions,” concluded Fyodorova.