Iran Nuclear Negotiations: Accord and Détente since the Geneva Agreement of 2013

In November 2013, a historic agreement on Iran’s nuclear program was reached between Iran and the world powers, raising the prospects for a long-term agreement that would end the Iran nuclear crisis and set the stage for normal relations between Iran and the West. This book seeks to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of this agreement and the protracted process that preceded it. It examines in details the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the world powers, focusing on the origins and evolution of the Iran nuclear crisis, the unilateral and the multilateral sanctions. It also looks at the relationship between nuclear and various non-nuclear regional issues, as well as the long-term implications for the U.S.-Iran relations.

Table of Contents:
List of Tables List of Figures Glossary of Terms Introduction Chapter 1: The Road to the Geneva Agreement Chapter 2: The Breakthrough Agreement Chapter 3: The Question of Enrichment Chapter 4: The Rocky Road to the Final Agreement Chapter 5: The Regional Implications Chapter 6: U.S.-Iran Détente: Moving Beyond a Troubled Past Chapter 7: Nuclear Issue and Iran’s National Security Chapter 8: Iran, the Geneva Agreement, and the Future of the NPT Conclusion Selected Bibliography Appendixes Index

About the Author :
Nader Entessar is professor and chair of the department of political science and criminal justice at the University of South Alabama. Kaveh Lotfollah Afrasiabi is an Iranian-American political scientist and author. During 2004-2005, he was involved as an advisor to Iran's nuclear negotiation team.

Review :
This book extensively documents the negotiations that led to the deal reached in Vienna in July 2015 between Iran and world powers regarding the former’s nuclear program, the most important diplomatic breakthrough in the Middle East since the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s. It compellingly shows that political disagreements rather than technical issues have been central to the controversy surrounding Iran’s nuclear program. A self-declared goal of the book is to present an informed discussion of the ‘Iranian viewpoint’ that is often poorly represented in English language sources. The book is successful in its goal, as it extensively documents the strategies pursued by Iranian decision makers and the debates taking place within Iran. The authors...offer insight into the national security challenges Iran faces, ranging from declining oil prices to Pakistan’s nuclear weapons…. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals. Written by two seasoned experts on Iran's foreign and nuclear affairs, this book offers a comprehensive, concise, and thoughtful explanation of the origins and evolution of Iranian nuclear crisis and the challenges and opportunities facing the decision-makers in the complex nuclear negotiations that have yielded in a final agreement. The authors provide a sober and balanced discussion of Iran's national and security interests and the implications of a nuclear breakthrough for the stalemate in relations between Iran and the West. The book is highly recommended for academic, policy, and media communities as well as the general public. On the very day Iran and the “P5+1” countries reached a formal agreement in Vienna, I finalized reviewing this book that provides a comprehensive account of the decade-long nuclear negotiations between the parties. As a Turkish scholar who has been seriously concerned about the possibility of an Iranian nuclear bomb and who has written extensively on the subject since 1995, I can safely say that this book is an extremely rich source of information about the evolution of the various dimensions of the controversial nuclear program of Iran. The authors, whose academic credentials cannot be disputed, share generously their broad knowledge accumulated over the years about the negotiation process, both as researchers and also as insiders, from time to time, and thus offer not only documented data that are still worthy of keeping within arm’s reach, but also very valuable insights into the process that may not be found in any media outlet as to how the decision-making apparatus in Iran handled the process under different governments and leadership cadres both in Tehran and in Western capitals. As such, this book is a must read for those who want to capture the whole controversy over Iran’s nuclear ambitions while writing academic or journalistic articles as well as those who would need a useful source for teaching, studying or simulating some of the negotiation technics that have been used by different countries having different security cultures. The book also offers critical lessons that one can draw out of this protracted and multifaceted process. Iran Nuclear Negotiations offers a careful, comprehensive, and balanced analysis of the negotiation process of Tehran with the 5+1 great powers regarding the nature, scope, and functions of the Iranian nuclear program. Beyond their focus on the negotiation process, the authors thoughtfully considered the impact of other significant factors, including the Iranian ties with the West, Tehran’s relations with the Arab states, and the influence of Israeli leaders in the process, to name a few. This is a must read for anyone interested in having an informed view about these negotiations.