The middle east does not think in straight lines.

After extending the deadline and all night talks the US and Iran have reached a nuclear deal. But even as the agreement was signed there were different interpretations from the 2 sides. From the US it sounds clear cut. Number of centrifuges will be reduced, all spent fuel will be shipped out, the underground facility at Fordo will be converted to an R&D center, the breakout time, that is the time Iran will require to construct a nuclear bomb, will be increased from 2 months, as at present, to 1 year, Iran will be completely transparent to IAEA inspections and sanctions will be lifted gradually, depending on progress. From the Iranian side it is respect for their sovereign right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and the complete lifting of sanctions. This is not the final agreement but an outline of topics that will be discussed over the next 3 months to reach a binding agreement. There are concerns that hardliners on both sides will try to scupper a deal, Israel and the Arabs are against any deal with Iran and Iran may put up obstacles to IAEA inspections once sanctions are lifted. Trouble is, that western people tend to think in straight lines whereas in the middle east they tend to think in tangents. Maybe Iran is not looking to make nuclear weapons but playing hardball to save face at home and to get sanctions on its banks and on oil exports removed. When oil prices began dropping last year the Saudis refused to cut production. Some say that they wanted to hurt the fracking industry in the US and hurt Russia and Iran for supporting Bashar al Assad in Syria. There is implacable hatred between the Gulf states and Iran, Arabs against Persians, Sunnis against Shia. Iran has made huge strategic gains in the region recently. In Iraq, Shia militia are in the forefront in the battle against ISIS, in Yemen, the Houthis, who are Zaidi Shia, have almost captured the whole of the southern port city of Aden and in Syria, Bashar al Assad's Alawi Shia army have halted rebel advances. What is even better is that Sunni ISIS fighters have almost taken over the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, killing many Palestinians, prompting Sunni Hamas to vow revenge against them. Sunnis fighting each other is good news for Iran. Saudi Arabia is in panic. Yemen is to its south and Iraq to its north. It does not have the army to take on the Houthis on the ground and so has resorted to bombing their positions. Obama phoned the Saudi King to reassure him about the nuclear deal and is increasing arms supplies to the kingdom. With the US Fifth Fleet stationed in Bahrain Obama might think that Iran can do nothing to threaten Saudi Arabia but there may not be any need for Iran to take direct action. Once sanctions on oil are lifted it can just allow ISIS to enter Saudi Arabia from the south of Iraq which is controlled by Shia. Use Sunnis to overpower Sunnis. While the US watches from the sidelines.