Commentary: Diplomacy still crucial in process of Iran nuclear deal implementation

The UN Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution to endorse the Iran nuclear deal, representing the first important step toward implementing the historic agreement reached in Vienna last week between Iran and six world powers. As the landmark deal is widely hailed as a victory of international diplomacy, diplomacy should also prevail in the process of implementation.

Diplomacy played a very constructive role as the five permanent council members, namely Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany and Iran took painstaking efforts to seek a political solution to the Iran nuclear issue. China has played a very unique role in making the Vienna deal possible.

However, before the Iran nuclear deal is implemented to the letter, there is no room for complacency.

The implementation is expected to last as long as a decade and it involves a really complex process in both technical and diplomatic fields. Under the deal, the U.S., the European Union and the United Nations will gradually lift their sanctions against Iran only after the International Atomic Energy Agency, the world' s nuclear watchdog, submits a report to the Security Council verifying that Iran has met the deal requirements by taking certain nuclear-related measures.

The deal symbolized serious commitment from all the parties in safeguarding the international non-proliferation regime after they were ready to make compromises to bring breakthrough into reality in the efforts to solve the Iran nuclear issue through political talks.

Since 2002, on-and-off negotiations between Iran and the world powers had dragged on without any sign of a significant breakthrough until the ice-breaking telephone conversation between U.S. President Barack Obama and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in September 2013.

Reached after more than two weeks of tough negotiations in Vienna, the capital of Austria, the long-awaited agreement includes the Iranian commitment to no development of nuclear weapons while the Middle East country can enjoy the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy.

The historic deal would not have been secured without efforts of both Tehran and Washington to make compromises over some sensitive issues. Nor would an agreement have been clinched if both sides had refused to accommodate each other's concerns and thought only of their own interests.

Hence, diplomacy can work only when all the parties are willing to work together to achieve a win-win or multi-win situation on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.

Diplomacy is even more necessary when the United States and Iran, the two major players involved in the long-standing game, do not have diplomatic relations and still lack mutual trust. It was noted that at the open council meeting, just moments after the adoption of the new resolution, the United States accused Iran of supporting terror proxies and Iran fought back by rejecting the charge, blaming Washington for instability in the Middle East.

Over the next 10 years, there are certainly differences in the process of the deal's implementation, but these differences should be properly ironed out through diplomacy. Otherwise, the implementation process won't last long.

The victory of diplomacy in Vienna should drive home the message that resorting to force is not the right way to resolve a dispute and the parties involved should give diplomacy every chance to secure a proper solution. The invaluable experience of joining hands for a political solution should be also used to help resolve other crisis situations in the world.

The world has come thus far along the road toward the historic breakthrough on the Iranian nuclear issue. Therefore, it is essential that the parties concerned do whatever it takes to uphold the hard-won result and tie up any loose ends that may squander what has been achieved. Endite