Iran's Relations to the East: Nonproliferation and Regional Security in a Changing Southwest Asia

The nuclear agreement with Iran contains ramifications for the regional politics of Southwest Asia. A major impact could be on policy toward Salafi jihadism, and in addressing this threat in a meaningful and effective way. It is this paper’s contention that the Iran nuclear agreement could be a contributory factor for countering Salafi jihadism. A permanent P5+1 (Britain, France, China, Russia, United States and Germany)-Iran agreement could be a regional game-changer. This is because the agreement would de-escalate the problem of Iran’s nuclear program, advance nonproliferation, and allow the major players to address the critical issue of radicalism. It would create a favorable environment for all regional states to find common ground in the collective identification of this key security threat. This agreement would facilitate concentrated focus on the threat of ideological radicalism and help the regional states act willingly and proactively to counter this threat. In support of addressing these issues, the regional states could work jointly through a Regional Security Forum. This would bring important regional states like Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia into agreement on this central issue. Currently there are three main countries of concern in regard to Salafi jihadism – Afghanistan in South Asia, and Syria and Iraq in the Middle East. A regional security forum would demonstrate the joint resolve to work on a single-point security agenda visà-vis these states of concern. Such a collaborative effort could serve as a model for future joint actions in areas of common regional interest. Nonproliferation & Regional Security in Southwest Asia