Because the recent announcement of a long-awaited nuclear accord with Iran happens to coincide with the publication of my book, The Overthrow of the Persian Peacock Throne, I am compelled to comment.

President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and our international partners have achieved a great feat by negotiating with Iran to give up the means of producing a nuclear bomb. The fact that Iran has agreed to the necessary transparency to prohibit a bomb opens the door for improved relations with a country that is key to our security and to world peace. It is a country of 80 million people with a literacy rate of 99 per cent and with the memory of a historical constitutional democracy. It is a country that has not attacked another nation for 300 years. It is a country that is ready to develop business ties with the West once the sanctions are eased.

Those questioning the worthiness of this agreement are losing sight of the opportunity that it presents. We cannot dictate any change in Iran’s behavior with this agreement. That will come with time as we stop pushing them against the wall with isolation and severe sanctions. As there develops increasing trust and interchange of students and tourists, Iran can become an important and responsible ally in the Middle East.

In short, we cannot allow a handful of extremist politicians to sabotage the approval of this hard-earned agreement between us and five other nations. If we do not seize this opportunity, the consequences could be very dangerous.

Dr. Siamak A. Adibi is author of The Overthrow of the Persian Peacock Throne and How it Affected My Life, A Memoir and History of Iran. He is a longtime summer resident of Chappaquiddick.