Taking a journey into the unknown with Iran

IT WOULD not be exaggeration to propose that very much like US President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972 that opened the road to Sino-American rapprochement, the nuclear deal that Iran signed with the US and other major powers (the UK, France, China, Russia and Germany) on Tuesday morning in Vienna - after 17 days of negotiations and 12 years of deadlock - could also help transform the international balance of power and have long-term effects on US foreign policy.

And depending on your point of view, the development could create the basis for the integration of Iran into the global economy and produce incentives for economic and political reforms of the Islamic republic while turning Teheran into a partner of the US - as well as ending Iran's nuclear programme.

Or the nuclear deal could strengthen the power of the anti-American Ayatollahs that continue to rule Iran, allow the Iranians to keep in place their nuclear military programme and ignite a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and lead a new regional war involving Iran, Israel and Saudi Arabia.