The deadline for an agreement on Iran's nuclear program, described by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (and quite a few experts) as a “bad agreement,” falls after the Israeli elections scheduled for March 17. There are growing signs that Iran will get what it wants. The most obvious sign of this is the cooperation between the United States and Iran against the Islamic State (IS) in the Iraqi arena. An additional indicator can be found in the talks between the Gulf states and Iran on establishing a new regional order.
At the same time, the obvious wedge between Netanyahu and President Barack Obama exposes Israel, not Iran, as the recalcitrant outsider. When Netanyahu arranged to appear before both houses of Congress on March 3, proclaiming his speech as designed to derail Obama’s efforts to achieve an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, the prime minister actually gave Iran additional incentive to sign an accord. Iran can now be assured that signing an agreement will deepen the rift between the White House and the official residence on Jerusalem’s Balfour Street as long as no new tenant occupies the house.
