"With signs that Iran is under more pressure than it has been in years to make a deal, senior Obama administration officials said the United States and five other major powers were prepared to offer a package of inducements to obtain a verifiable agreement to suspend its efforts to enrich uranium closer to weapons grade.
. . . .
The oil sanctions, which the Iranians are seeking desperately to avoid, are one of several factors that American officials believe may make Tehran more amenable to exploring a diplomatic solution. In addition, the recent decline in oil prices has magnified the pain of the existing sanctions on Iran; a new government coalition in Israel has strengthened the hand of its hawkish leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; and Americans believe that recent blustery statements from Iranian officials are laying the groundwork for concessions by Tehran."
Iran preparing to buckle? Wishful thinking. An article published yesterday by Iran's Mehr News Agency reports that Tehran is not prepared to compromise:
"The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has said that the country will not back down an inch in the face of Western pressure to relinquish its rights to advance its peaceful nuclear program.
SNSC Secretary Saeed Jalili made the remarks during a speech at a conference on 'resistance economy', which was held in Tehran on Thursday.
The resistance of our nation has helped us effectively defend the rights of the Iranian people in the talks. In addition, the people are standing firm on their rights and will not relinquish an iota of them,' said Jalili, who is Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator.
. . . .
Jalili added, 'After the Istanbul talks, we heard some (negative) comments from the Westerners. I warn them to be careful when making comments so that they will not make miscalculations.'
He also said, 'Some are saying that the time for negotiations is running out. However, I tell them, 'What is running out is the policy of exerting pressure.''
Commenting on the sanctions imposed on Iran over the allegation that it is seeking to produce nuclear weapons, the Iranian official stated, 'Those who assume that they can exert pressure on the people or hinder Iran’s progress through sanctions must be aware that they are playing on our field.'"
How, most kindly, to describe the optimism of the Obama administration? "Delusional" comes to mind.
As stated by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday (see: http://www.jpost.com/IranianThreat/News/Article.aspx?id=270511):
"I have seen no evidence whatsoever that Iran is serous about stopping its nuclear weapons program.
. . . .
It looks as though they see these talks as another opportunity to deceive and delay, just like North Korean did for years. They may try to go from meeting to meeting with empty promises. They may agree to something in principle but not implement it. They may even agree to implement something that does not materially derail their nuclear weapons program."
. . . .
Iran is good at playing this chess game. They know that sometimes you have to sacrifice a pawn to save the king."
Is only Bibi able to see through Tehran's charade? Or is it simply in everyone else's interest, particularly with elections drawing near in the US, to continue playing the game?
Spot on, Jeff.
ReplyDeleteDelusional politics are a repeat loop with ghastly historical precedent.