I read with great interest the article “Hold the cheers” by Richard N. Haass (April 5). The views expressed by the writer makes perfect sense. Reading such balanced articles void of unnecessary bias or sensationalism is always a good experience. These days it is very difficult to read balanced articles particularly by western writers.

They have the tendency to toe their respective governments’ line. And the same applies to the case of Iran’s nuclear deal. Since the West was keen on reaching a deal with Iran, everybody was trying to paint a rosy picture of the deal. They have completely ignored the Iranian policy in the Middle East. Tehran is trying to divide the entire region along sectarian lines. If it succeeds in its designs, the region will transform into a cauldron of chaos permanently.

I agree with the writer that there are chances that the hard-liners in Iran may try to derail the process. In any case, I fear that the deal will fuel arms race in the Middle East. — Qasim Ghaffar, Jubail