Raisi team affects US-Iranian relations; U.S Professor
"I do believe that the Biden Administration has a real interest in keeping the nuclear deal with Iran alive," an associate Professor at UMass Boston told.
Speaking to ILNA news agency, Darren Kew said that but I don't think that the US will agree to just any deal -- it will need to be strong enough to convince Washington that Iran will fulfill its obligations.
"So the deal also has to be strong enough to deflect criticism from the Republicans in the US".
Pointing to Iran's new administration, he added that Iran's new president will probably not affect the nuclear negotiations dramatically, since the real decisions will be made by higher ranking officials, but I think President Raisi's will definitely strain relations between Tehran and Washington.
Asked about the future of the Afghan government after the Taliban took control of Kabul, he said "clearly Pakistan stands to gain by a Taliban victory, at least in the short term, while Iran has a long history of antagonism with the Taliban."
"This is one area where Iran and the US have common interest, and could possibly work together quietly once a new nuclear deal is reached."
"In the long run, however, I think that a Taliban government in Afghanistan will continue to encourage extremists in Pakistan and neighboring countries across the region, and this is as much a problem for Islamabad as everyone else," Darren Kew continued.
I suspect that Pakistani leaders are telling the truth when they say that a divided Afghanistan is more in Islamabad's deeper interests than a unified Afghanistan under a resurgent Taliban."
The U.S Professor added that so this may be where Iran has a last chance to work with Pakistan to negotiate a peace deal between the Taliban and the current government in Kabul.
"So in the end, at the moment it appears that Iran has to brace itself for a greater threat from across the border in Afghanistan. In addition to pursuing warm relations with China, Iran will have to find more friends."
"Ultimately, Iran will also likely have to consider a more pragmatic relationship with arch-enemy Israel, which could be possible now that Prime Minister Netanyahu is gone, he said at the end.