WORLD
Washington feels triumphant, but has a superpower ever struck a deal like this, in defiance of its most closely affected allies? The United States is still, despite recent debacles, the global hegemon. Ignoring the pleas of allies such as Israel and Saudi Arabia is just one of those things a superpower can do if a president wants to put a diplomatic achievement in the White House column marked "legacy".
But for Sunni Arab leaders, deeply hostile to Iran, the deal is a sign that America's power is waning, that it has suddenly funked, decided it needs a multipolar world: one in which Washington negotiates with rather than rides roughshod over regional rivals such as Iran, and global rivals such as Russia and China.
Those leaders are now fast reassessing their own relations with Moscow and Beijing. If you believe the noises coming out of Riyadh and Jerusalem, after the deal comes the deluge. Even if Israel holds off from bombing Iran's nuclear facilities - and it was ruling nothing out yesterday (Sunday) - other disasters are lining up. Most immediately, a newly respectable Iran will be emboldened in its support for President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. Already, thousands of Iranian, Lebanese and Iraqi Shia militiamen are there, helping Mr Assad in his war against the Sunni majority.
Either Iran will win Mr Assad a diplomatic victory in peace talks, allowing him to remain in power, or Saudi Arabia and other Gulf donors will increase their backing for the rebels, allowing al-Qaeda to increase its already substantial presence. In either case, many more Syrians will die. More quietly, convinced that Iran's promises are hollow and that it can no longer trust the United States, could Saudi Arabia itself go nuclear?
It too has never ruled this out. Pakistan's nuclear deterrent has been described as "Saudi's proxy bomb" because of the two nations' close co-operation; that might become reality. Meanwhile, it remains the world's number one oil producer and has recently become the main guarantor of Egypt's new military-backed regime. It seems quite happy to see Cairo currying favour and arms deals with Russia.
The Sunni world, it seems, may be on the verge of falling out of the American orbit. Of course, Washington's wonks are aware of the unhappiness the deal has generated. They are, almost certainly rightly, sceptical of the wilder Israeli and Saudi threats: in reality, these countries are angry precisely because they have nowhere else to turn. There are also other potential outcomes.
If Saudi Arabia and Israel shared notes over Iran, they might also notice a common long-term interest in resolving the Palestinian issue. Saudi is a firm backer of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, which the West prefers to Hamas in Gaza.
If Iran were more secure in its relations with America, it might feel its relationship with a sarin-deploying dictator overseeing the break-up of Syria to be less in its long-term interests. If the Gulf states did indeed start taking responsibility for more of their own security, fewer American troops might end up in harm's way. Such win-win outcomes are, however, something of a rarity in the Middle East.
The simple truth may be that the deal will have fewer immediate consequences than imagined. On all other issues, the West and the Iranians will continue to work against each other, and the violent schisms in the region will continue to worsen.
And in fact, underlying everything is an even simpler truth: Western voters are more worried about avoiding future wars than ending current ones. Supporting Saudi Arabia does't win anyone votes in swing states. The Geneva deal fits the isolationist mood currently dominant in both the US and Europe. Isolationism has backfired in the past, and may yet do so again, but that is for another day.
BIG challenge for Mukesh Ambani as Noel Tata makes this move after Ratan Tata's death, it is...
Neelam Kothari finally reveals if she was in relationship with Govinda: ‘In those days we were…’
SEBI's first reaction on Gautam Adani bribery case, begins inquiry into...
Meet Hyderabad girl who began NEET preparation in class 7, scored 99.9 percentile, secured AIR...
Badshah breaks his silence on dating rumours with Pakistani star Hania Aamir: ‘We have a lot of…’
Delhi pollution: Air quality deteriorates to 'severe' category in Delhi-NCR; AQI at 419
'I think bro is her EX': Man performs risky bike stunt with burqa-clad woman in Bangladesh, watch
Viral video: Little girl's power-packed dance to 'beer song' melts hearts online, watch
Explained: Why India must win the 1st Test against Australia in Perth
Raima Sen mourns Bharat Dev Varma's demise, pens emotional note for 'great father, great husband'
DNA TV Show: Ahead of Maharashtra poll results, MVA, Mahayuti engage in resort politics
Maharashtra: Stage set for assembly poll results; Mahayuti, MVA confident of their victories
All set for vote counting in Jharkhand tomorrow; NDA, JMM-led alliances confident of winning
Watch: Australia star inquires Rishabh Pant about his next IPL team, gets 2-word reply
Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat was first offered to his industry rival…, but he refused because...
The Visionary Who Promises a Blue Sky for India: Holger Thorsten Schubart’s G20 Climate Speech
The Surge of High-End Living: Luxury Residential Market to Outpace Other Segments
FeFCon 2024 to be Held in Bangalore: A Premier Event on Fever Management
'That’s wild': Noida man turns cigarette butts into teddy bears in viral video, watch
London Airport evacuates passengers over security threat, thousands stranded
The World’s First Innovative Iron Supplement to Combat Iron Deficiency and Anaemia
Meet grandmother who became fashion icon after trying on her granddaughter’s clothes
IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in elite WTC list, becomes 3rd Indian to...
'All scripted drama...': Puneet Superstar allegedly assaulted by influencers in viral video, watch
Actress Ana de Armas caught kissing Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s son in viral photos
Oreshnik's Shadow: Will Russia's hypersonic missile force west to back down?
‘You’re So Beautiful’: World’s tallest woman meets world’s shortest woman over tea, pics go viral
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Consequences of GRAP-4 are drastic, may have adverse effects, says SC
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Schools likely to stay closed till..., check city-wise update
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
THIS farm is selling a cup of coffee for Rs 28000, but there's a twist, it is...
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed after encounter with security personnel in Sukma
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'