When U.S. President Barack Obama likes you, this is what you get: a shady nuclear deal; 21 of your people are released in a prisoner exchange, among them three Iranian-Americans accused of violating sanctions (leaving us to ponder how unlucky Jonathan Pollard was not to be born an Iranian); ballistic missile tests in blatant violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution; and an apology after you detained 10 American sailors. This is what Iran, the country providing Obama his legacy in exchange for a proper Islamic republic, has received. Welcome to the new American age: Iran is in, the Gulf States are out. In Vienna on Saturday, the foreign ministers of Iran, the U.S., and EU states waited for the International Atomic Energy Agency to give its final approval for the lifting of sanctions, imposed on Iran over a decade ago through a great deal of effort. But even before sanctions were lifted, large international corporations already had business deals with Iran in their hands. Let's not forget for a moment that while there are those who see Iran as a threat, others see it as an opportunity. And among those who see opportunity -- some only see the dollar signs, not the dangers. Obama has already said that passenger planes can be sold to Iran. It is very possible he had Boeing in mind when he said this, but on Saturday night, while everyone was waiting for sanctions to be lifted, Iran's transportation minister announced a deal between Tehran and EU manufacturer Airbus for the purchase 114 passenger planes. Here, too, we see Iran's ingratitude toward America, or simply another way to spit in its face. The New York Times' correspondent in Tehran reported a lack of excitement in the streets of Iran on Saturday. This indifference prior to the official removal of sanctions can be explained in two ways: It's possible the Iranian people themselves do not really believe that the hundreds of billions of dollars now thawed by foreign banks will ever reach their pockets (apparently Iranians know their rulers better than Obama); or perhaps the nuclear deal is perceived as a failure by the conservatives, who believe that every day the country's 12,000 centrifuges aren't spinning and the heavy water reactor at Arak is idle is a day to be mourned. Even if every step was coordinated with the conservatives, they surely cannot give their blessing to such a move. There is a limit to hypocrisy, it turns out. The main problem is that the first part is likely true, but so is the second part. Iran, after all, doesn't plan on changing. It is reasonable to assume that a leading exporter of global terrorism won't abandon its weapon of expertise at a time when terror has become such a central component in the international arena. The second problem is Iran's double game. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani claims the nuclear deal benefits everyone, including the Americans. In actuality, the deal is largely a clean profit for Iranian liberals and conservatives. Rouhani can enjoy the newly released funds to improve the economy, as he promised his voters, while Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei understands the deal ensures Iran's nuclear status with just a little patience. Khamenei, the country's spiritual leader whose health is failing, knows he can now die in peace. He also has his legacy to think about.
