Iranian agreement still needs UN and IAEA approval

The uranium exchange agreement signed today in Tehran by Brazil, Iran and Turkey still faces a few hurdles. It must be analyzed and approved by the United Nations Security Council, along with the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). There are technical questions to be answered and guarantees to be furnished by the parties involved. There is the matter of compliance with international rules on nuclear security, for example. And there have to be assurances that Iran will fulfill its obligations under the plan.

Overshadowing the controversial Iranian nuclear program has been a lack of trust on both sides. Iran does not trust some of the members of the Security Council (read: the United States, France and England) and those same countries do not trust Iran when it says its nuclear program is peaceful.

The president of Brazil makes a telling point when he says that the exchange agreement was reached today (May 17) because trust was established among the leaders of Brazil, Iran and Turkey. Brazil insisted on negotiations, insisted on a dialogue, trusted Iran and got an agreement. Whether or not the agreement will really work out, whether or not all the negotiating and dialoguing was worthwhile, whether or not all the trust was well placed, is what remains to be seen.