by AMBER KELLY Photographer
The relationship between the United States and Iran has always been strained. Therefore, a nuclear accord with Iran, no matter how tenuous, is significant for America and President Barack Obama’s administration.
From the Iran-Contra affair to the Iran hostage crisis, scandals and tensions have always surrounded our nation and theirs. Tensions have been especially present due to Iran’s increased activity in their nuclear program, which began in the 1950’s. Due to Iran’s geography, any nuclear weaponry intelligence is vital.
To the west of Iran is Iraq, and to the east lies Afghanistan and Pakistan. With Iran being surrounded by nations hostile toward the United States, a nuclear power struggle is inevitable.
“It’s good that we’re starting to get somewhere with these talks with Iran. Because the Middle East is so crazy and the general opinion of the United States there is unfavorable, it is important that we try to put a cap on Iran’s nuclear power. We don’t know where these weapons could be going and that’s a huge problem for us. When it comes to Obama’s foreign policy, he should definitely focus on getting something done with Iran, which it looks like he’s trying to do,” says senior Jessica McDonald.
It is not completely clear what President Obama plans to do in his agreements with Iranian counsel; however, he has said that he does not wish to put new sanctions on Iran. While some members of Congress are pushing such sanctions, President Obama holds that they will only hurt us because they will “alienate us from our allies”.
Some people worry about how certain decisions with Iran will affect America’s relationship with other ally nations, like Israel. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, considers Iran to be one of Israel’s biggest threats. Netanyahu is determined to limit Iran’s uranium and their nuclear power. If the United States shows any leniency in their agreements with Iran, Netanyahu, and Israel as a whole, will not be very happy.
Some see this problem as delving even deeper. If Israel is put off by America’s agreements with Iran, will an agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians, as overlooked by the United States, even be possible? As shown through the many possible consequences of agreements with Iran, the Obama administration’s approach to such agreements is very important.
“Of course we all want the tension between our nations to be fixed or at least lessened, but it seems a lot harder to do after you consider the stuff with Israel and other nations. It seems like any agreements we make with Iran will affect not only us and Iran, but other nations, as well,” says senior Jennifer Park.
President Obama’s talks with Iran have been dragging on for a while, and no one really knows what kind of agreement will be reached. Hopefully, it will be one that stabilizes our relationship with Iran, but at the same times, does not negatively impact our relationship with other nations.
What kind of agreement do you think should be reached with Iran?
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