The Globe editorial’s headline claiming that the Iran nuclear deal is working is premature (“Iran deal is working; don’t scuttle it,’’ Jan. 20). Iran’s initial compliance, assuming it did comply fully with its first obligations, was made in order to obtain from the West what it desperately wanted: sanctions relief. Now that Iran has it, there’s little left to motivate the country to maintain compliance over the rest of the 10- to 15-year term of the deal.

Considering the zeal with which Iran has been pursuing its nuclear weapons program, it seems unlikely that the unconvincing threat of so-called snap-back sanctions will succeed in moving the country to abandon it.

As for the Globe’s hope that the deal will lead to moderates winning in the upcoming Iranian elections, there’s good reason to believe this optimism is also misplaced. Several days after sanctions were lifted, thousands of moderates were disqualified from running by Iranian hard-liners.

Now that Iran has gotten what it wants, it’s hard to imagine that a regime determined to expand the reach of its power, willing to perpetrate human rights violations and acts of terror, and committed to building a nuclear weapons program will simply choose to give it all up. One need only look to Iran’s recent seizure and public humiliation of 10 American sailors to see the regime’s true colors.

Susan Krieger

Jamaica Plain