Why rejoining Iran nuclear deal isn’t so easy, even if Biden wins
A new Iran deal should consider the “gold standard” energy pact by the UAE and include a regional dialogue on the peaceful use of nuclear power.
US Sen. Chris Van Hollen, in a podcast with Al-Monitor this week, said that Saudi Arabia should be held to what he called the "gold standard" of civilian nuclear agreements: no domestic enrichment of uranium (which, at high levels, can be used to produce nuclear weapons) and adherence to the Additional Protocol of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which allows for more expansive verification and inspection by the IAEA.
This gold standard is what the United Arab Emirates calls its civil nuclear deal with the United States, which includes both conditions.
If it’s good enough for the UAE, it should be good enough for Saudi Arabia.
And if it’s good enough for Saudi Arabia and the UAE, maybe zero enrichment should be the standard for Iran too.
