Book Release— Iran Nuclear Negotiations: Accord and Détente since the Geneva Agreement of 2013

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By Nader Entessar and Kaveh Afrasiabi
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Review

Written by two seasoned experts on Iran's foreign and nuclear affairs, this book offers a comprehensive, concise, and thoughtful explanation of the origins and evolution of Iranian nuclear crisis and the challenges and opportunities facing the decision-makers in the complex nuclear negotiations that have yielded in a final agreement. The authors provide a sober and balanced discussion of Iran's national and security interests and the implications of a nuclear breakthrough for the stalemate in relations between Iran and the West. The book is highly recommended for academic, policy, and media communities as well as the general public. (Hooshang Amirahmadi, professor, Rutgers University; senior associate, Oxford University; president, American Iranian Council)

On the very day Iran and the “P5+1” countries reached a formal agreement in Vienna, I finalized reviewing this book that provides a comprehensive account of the decade-long nuclear negotiations between the parties. As a Turkish scholar who has been seriously concerned about the possibility of an Iranian nuclear bomb and who has written extensively on the subject since 1995, I can safely say that this book is an extremely rich source of information about the evolution of the various dimensions of the controversial nuclear program of Iran. The authors, whose academic credentials cannot be disputed, share generously their broad knowledge accumulated over the years about the negotiation process, both as researchers and also as insiders, from time to time, and thus offer not only documented data that are still worthy of keeping within arm’s reach, but also very valuable insights into the process that may not be found in any media outlet as to how the decision-making apparatus in Iran handled the process under different governments and leadership cadres both in Tehran and in Western capitals. As such, this book is a must read for those who want to capture the whole controversy over Iran’s nuclear ambitions while writing academic or journalistic articles as well as those who would need a useful source for teaching, studying or simulating some of the negotiation technics that have been used by different countries having different security cultures. The book also offers critical lessons that one can draw out of this protracted and multifaceted process. (Mustafa Kibaroglu, MEF University, Istanbul)

Iran Nuclear Negotiations offers a careful, comprehensive, and balanced analysis of the negotiation process of Tehran with the 5+1 great powers regarding the nature, scope, and functions of the Iranian nuclear program. Beyond their focus on the negotiation process, the authors thoughtfully considered the impact of other significant factors, including the Iranian ties with the West, Tehran’s relations with the Arab states, and the influence of Israeli leaders in the process, to name a few. This is a must read for anyone interested in having an informed view about these negotiations. (Dr. Houman A. Sadri, associate professor of political science at the University of Central Florida (UCF); coordinator of the UCF Model United Nations Program; president of Information & Policy Analysis Center (IPAC), an educational nonprofit and non-partisan foundation

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Kayvon Afshari

Kayvon Afshari managed the campaign to elect Hooshang Amirahmadi as President of Iran. In this role, he directed the campaign’s event planning, publicity, online social media, web analytics, and delivered speeches. Mr. Afshari has also been working at the CBS News foreign desk for over five years. He has coordinated coverage of Iran’s 2009 post-election demonstrations, the Arab Spring, the earthquake in Haiti, and many other stories of international significance. He holds a Master in International Relations from New York University’s Department of Politics, and graduated with distinction from McGill University in 2007 with a double major in political science and Middle Eastern studies. At NYU, his research focused on quantitative analysis and the Middle East with an emphasis on US-Iran relations. In his 2012 Master’s thesis, he devised a formula to predict whether Israel would launch a pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, concluding that an overt strike would not materialize.