Change in Middle East security structure

US Secretary of State John Kerry delivers a statement that sanctions will be lifted on Iran after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verified that Iran has met all conditions under the nuclear deal, in Vienna January 16, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

The united states and the European Union began lifting their economic sanctions they had imposed against Iran at the weekend. Beijing News praises their exemplary reconciliation, while calling for closer attention to the uncertainties they have injected into the Middle East situation.

Of course, the US and the EU are unlikely to lift all their sanctions on Iran overnight, but their latest efforts to include the country in the West-led financial and political governance again after more than three decades, will not only serve as a tipping point in Washington-Teheran ties but also reshape the geopolitical order in the Middle East region.

That the enduring Iranian nuclear issue has been settled via peaceful negotiations is indeed worth celebrating. A silver lining was observed after Hassan Rouhani became Iran's president in 2013, as he began to relinquish the hawkish stance of his predecessor and seek the resumption of nuclear talks.

For countries such as Iran, which are highly dependent on external markets, economic sanctions, especially financial sanctions have very serious consequences.

It is foreseeable that after the sanctions are lifted Iran will gradually revitalize and stabilize its economy and financial and monetary system. A prisoner swap between Iran and the US at the weekend has also helped thaw the tensions between them.

In a nutshell, that the Iranian nuclear deal was reached and is being implemented as expected, enables Iran to reenter international economic and regional security affairs. This signals a fundamental change in the geosecurity structure of the Middle East.

More importantly, the improving Washington-Teheran relationship is not only about the two countries; it will also readjust the US' relations with many Middle East countries, especially its traditional allies Saudi Arabia and Israel.