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Source: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/time-to-wake-up-iran-wants-a-bomb-not-a-deal-d8j5nr0dv
Iran Wants a Bomb, Not a Deal
(The Times-UK) Roger Boyes - The original Iran deal in 2015 was billed as transformative but turned out to be merely transactional: the West undertook to lift sanctions in return for time-limited restrictions on Tehran's nuclear plans. It was essentially a bribe. Russia, which was supposed to be an enforcer of the nuclear deal, turned out to be a military partner of Iran. What's the alternative to a deal, ask its supporters. The answer is, keep your eyes open, learn from experience. Did the deal help create an Iran more at ease with itself, less hungry for a nuclear umbrella? Did it lay the groundwork for a more open governance, for a more tolerant society? Did it weaken the grip of the brutal Revolutionary Guard? No. Diplomacy has failed and it would be well to acknowledge that. Iran has got used to having its own way. When a country is so close to building a nuclear arsenal and has so many enemies, it is no good just tickling its tummy. The days of starstruck statecraft are over.