Few in the halls of Congress or in the capitals of the world community herald the recently negotiated six-month Iranian nuclear arms agreement as any significant breakthrough toward a nuclear-free Iran.

Clearly, it is not. At best, optimists view the U.S-brokered deal as the first of many baby steps toward a more nuclear-responsible Iran. At worst, pessimists view it as another example of Iranian trickery, a con game that benefits the Tehran regime in the short term but holds little promise of preventing Iranian-triggered nuclear madness in the long term.

Nonetheless, it does represent a start in a very, very long path toward greater peace and stability in the troubled Middle East. Therefore calls to torpedo the agreement by Republicans and some Democrats in Congress through resolutions for tougher sanctions and even military action are misguided or at least premature.

The agreement deserves a fighting chance to bear fruit….

As the U.S. is finally pulling out of Afghanistan after 13 long years of fighting and bloodshed, our nation must do all possible to avoid taking center stage in yet another conflict across the Atlantic.

It’s therefore prudent to give the baby steps of this month’s nuclear arms deal a fighting chance to creep slowly but surely toward a more responsible Iran and a more secure world.

 

The (Youngstown) Vindicator