Joe Greene: From Iranian perspective, is Iran any less predictable than Pakistan or Israel?

While the emerging nuclear energy deal with Iran seems extremely worrisome to the continuing instability in the Middle East, I’ve tried to imagine the perspective of the typical Iranian citizen steeped in punishing economic sanctions. The U.S. and Russia with German scientists let the atomic bomb out of Pandora’s box 70 years ago. Rightfully or wrongfully, they were all aware of potential nuclear proliferation.

Arabs and Persians would helplessly witness the frightful, unpredictable escalation of the cold war. Were nuclear superpowers like Russia and China safe? As an Iranian, I might ask: You think we’re not trustworthy, what about Pakistan and North Korea? There is concern that Pakistan is influenced by (or at least has an unpredictable relationship with) the Taliban. It’s also no secret, rightfully or wrongfully, that Israel has clandestinely developed a significant nuclear weapons arsenal.

As an Iranian, I would probably be a little sensitive to the hypocrisy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s outrage to the five-nation agreement with Iran when Israel wasn’t approved to have nuclear technology, or missiles for that matter, by the international community, either. I would say nuclear technology is seven decades old and here to stay. So why not us?

This story was originally published April 6, 2015 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Joe Greene: From Iranian perspective, is Iran any less predictable than Pakistan or Israel?."