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.