Did Obama Just Make Iran's Brutal Dicatorship Stronger?

The term Koranic refers to one of Prophet Mohammed's successful raids on a Meccan caravan in the early days of Islam.

Rouhani claims the deal represents the greatest diplomatic victory in Islamic history. Leaving aside the hyperbole, a fixture of the mullah's rhetorical arsenal, Rouhani has reason to celebrate.

If not quite moribund, as some analysts claim, the Islamic Republic had been in a rough patch for several years.

For more than a year the Iranian Government was unable to pay for some of the 5.2 Million Public Secotr employees, most notably teachers, petrochemical workers, and students on bursaries. This led to numerous strikes.

Deprived of urgently needed investment, the IRanian oil industry was pushed to the edge with its biggest oil fields, notably Bibi Hakimeh and Maround, producing less than half their capacity.

Between the years of 2012 and 2015, Iran lost 25% of it's share in the global oil market.

Sanctions and a lack of investments also mean that large chunks of the Iranian industry, depending on imported parts, went under as well. In 2015 Iran lost on avrage 1,000 jobs a day.

Last month, the nations currency, the Iranian Rial, fell to an all time record low while negative economic growth was forecast for a third consecutive year.

Having increased the military budget by 21%, Rouhani was forced to delay presentation of his new budget for the Iranian New Year which began on March 21.

Against that background Obama rode to the rescue by pushing through a "deal" designed to ease pressure on Iran in exchange for nothing but a verbal promise from Tehran. Here is some of what Obama said.

• Dropped demands that Iran reshape its nuclear program to make sure it can never acquire a military dimension. As head of Iranian Atomic Energy Agency Ali Akbar Salehi has said: “Our nuclear project remains intact. The ‘deal’ does not prevent us from doing what we were doing.”
• He suspended a raft of sanctions and pressured the European Union and the United Nations to do the same.
• He injected a badly needed $1.7 billion into Iranian economy by releasing assets frozen under President Jimmy Carter and kept as possible compensation for Americans held hostage at different times. The cash enabled Rouhani to start paying some unpaid salaries in Iran while financing Hezbollah branches and helping the Assad regime in Syria.
• Obama released another tranche of $30 billion, enabling Rouhani to present his new budget with a reduced deficit at 14% while increasing the military-security budget yet again, by 4.2%.
• Banking sanctions were set aside to let Iran import 19,000 tons of American rice to meet shortages on the eve of Iranian New Year when consumption reaches its peak.
• Obama’s lovefest with the mullahs helped mollify the Khomeinist regime’s image as a sponsor of international terror and a diplomatic pariah.

What could possibly have been the rationale behind Obama's determination to help the mullahs out of the hole they had dug themselves into?

Some cite Obama's alleged belief that the US has been an "imperialist power", bullying weaker nations and must make amends. 

Others however say it's a suggested tactic to strengthen "moderates" within the Iranian regime who, if assured that the US does not seek regime change, might lead the nation towards a change of behavior.

Whatever the reason, what Obama has done could be best described as appeasement.

 In classical appeasement you promise an adversary not to oppose some of his moves, for example the annexaction of Czechoslovakia, but you do not offer him actual financial or dimplomatic support. Obama however has gone beyond that.

In addition to saving Iran from running out of money, on the diplomatic front he has endorsed Tehran's scenario for saving Syria.

Secretary of State John Kerry talked of Iran as "the regional power" to the chagrin of Washington's Middle East Allies.

Obama's imaginary "moderates" are not in good shape. The concil of Guardians that decides who could run for election next month has disqualified 99% of the so called "moderates" ensuring the emergence of a new Islamic parliament and assembly of expeerts dominated by radicals as never before.

 Meanwhile, the annual " End Of America" festival, yes that is a real thing, runs February 1 to 10 is held with greater gump than before.

With more resources at it's disposal Tehran is intensifying it's "exporing the revolution" campaign. Last week it announced the creation of a new Hezbollah branch in Turkey, and for the first time, made the existance of a branch in Iraq public. Tajikistan was also publicly added to the markets where the Khomeinist revolution should be expoted.

There are no "moderates" in Tehran, and the Islamic Republic cannot be reformed out of it's nature. For the remainder of Obama's term last, expect a more aggressive Islamic Republic.

So did the Mullahs deceive Obama? Nope, this was all Obama's idea.