1. Preview The Islamic Republic of Iran celebrated a momentous event on the 14 th of July with the signature of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that will lift the economic sanctions imposed on the country and reintegrate it back into the international community. The deal has been described as historic and unprecedented, ending a 12 year standoff between the West and Iran and opening a new page in relations. The agreement came after twenty months of intensive negotiations between the six world powers, the EU and Iran, and was heralded as an achievement for all parties. Nonetheless, the deal has alarmed and confused key players in the region, considering the political, economic and geopolitical repercussions of the concluded agreement. Iran’s controversial nuclear programme has long drawn international condemnation, fueled by Israel’s warning of Iran’s nuclear capacities that would place a nuclear bomb in the hands of a radical state. These fears were further a