On the face of it, it looks as if Iran is giving up next-to-nothing in the deal and will now have the economic sanctions lifted, during which it can repatriate zillions of dollars worth of foreign assets.
Stratfor is far from optimistic but hopeful. See this.
The logic here suggests a process leading to the elimination of all sanctions in exchange for the supervision of Iran's nuclear activities to prevent it from developing a weapon. Unless this is an Iranian trick to somehow buy time to complete a weapon and test it, I would think that the deal could be done in six months. An Iranian ploy to create cover for building a weapon would also demand a reliable missile and a launch pad invisible to surveillance satellites and the CIA, National Security Agency, Mossad, MI6 and other intelligence agencies. The Iranians would likely fail at this, triggering airstrikes however risky they might be and putting Iran back where it started economically. While this is a possibility, the scenario is not likely when analyzed closely.
Apparently Stratfor thinks that speaking quietly and carrying a big stick is still a viable option in the Middle East.
Melanie Phillips heaps scorn on this view [see this]. [update: the link and quote are now correct]
Journalists who would normally ask themselves ‘why is this lying bastard lying to me?’ if a western politician merely said ‘hello, nice day isn’t it’ (apart, of course, from The One) have suspended all independent powers of observation and thought over this risible farce of a deal.
Viewing it through the prism of ‘after-Iraq-don’t-give me-any-more-lies-about-Islamic-terror/anything-that-sounds-like-compromise-and-lets-us-put-our-heads-back-in-the-sand-must-be-good/war-with-Iran-is-sooo-much-more-terrifying-than-a-nuclear-Iran/new-Iranian-President-Rouhani-sounds-charming-and-moderate-so-phew!-we-can-believe-anything-that-he-says/anything-Benjamin-Netanyahu-is-against-I’m-for’, the chattering classes have apparently decided that yup, this really is peace in our time and any comparison with you-know-what in 1938 is well, just hysterical, and anyway we’ve had it up to here with Israel and they can just shut up.
Phillips goes on to list 17 different points about the agreement that should be raising eyebrows everywhere.
The Canadian gubmnt is also concerned about the apparent lop-sidedness of the deal [see this]:
Canada vowed Sunday to keep its sanctions regime against Iran after a preliminary deal on the Islamic republic's nuclear program, calling for a more conclusive accord. ...
But Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird insisted that Ottawa would keep its "tough" sanctions "in full force" until negotiators clinch a permanent agreement, because "Iran has not earned the right to have the benefit of the doubt."
I worry that Phillips is right. Elsewhere I have pondered whether it is a case of John Neville Kerry-lain and "Peace in our time."