The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same. I can’t believe we’re falling for this nonsense again.

GENEVA — Iran and six major powers agreed early Sunday on an historic deal that freezes key parts of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for temporary relief on some economic sanctions, diplomats confirmed.

The deal was reached after four days of marathon bargaining and an 11th-hour intervention by U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry and other foreign ministers from Europe, Russia and China. the sources said. …

Although “98 percent” of the deal was done, Iran said it could not accept any agreement that does not recognize what it calls its uranium enrichment rights, Abbas Araghchi [Iranian Deputy for Legal and International Affairs] told reporters. …

Israel, a close U.S. ally, opposes the deal as too generous to an enemy it sees as a mortal threat. Israel is not a party to the talks.

The Obama administration has been unable to reassure Israel or another partner, Saudi Arabia, that the arrangement would make the Middle East safer.

– “Iran, world powers reach historic nuclear deal,”  Anne Gearan and Joby Warrick, Washington Post, November 23, 2013

That’s right, Israel, the most likely target of any eventual Iranian nuclear weapons, wasn’t even invited to the talks. And despite the deal, Iran will go right on enriching uranium. As [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu pointed out earlier, “…the proffered deal does not include the dismantling of even one centrifuge.”

Presumably there will be agreed-upon teams of international nuclear weapons oversight inspectors that will play hide the salami with the Iranians for a while, at least until they conduct their first nuclear test.

This entire business seems like a replay of James Baker’s 2006 Iraq Study Group, which David Zucker lampooned so effectively:

Update, 25 November: I have to add this telling photo of the Russian foreign minister as he is leaving the conference, from Breitbart.

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov laughs hysterically as his car pulls away from the conference venue (AFP)

Maybe this deal is the sort of thing President Obama was referring to in 2012 when he told Russian President Dimitri Medvedev, as accidentally captured by a hot microphone, “This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.”