The Nuclear Club
"I am glad that we can have some time to be able to catch up and pick up where we left off. We're working away."
"With respect to July 20, yes, that is still on the table. We are still working and we are going to continue to work."
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry
A day after the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany (China and Russia had chosen to send along low-level officials who left early) and Secretary of State Kerry failed to reach a breakthrough on uranium enrichment along with additional issues complicating a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for ending sanctions on Tehran, the deadline looms. But Mr. Kerry the indefatigable diplomat, reeks optimism.
That, despite his admission that Iran's 19,000 centrifuges represented an impassable wall toward a deal. Used for uranium enrichment, the U.S. remains uncomfortable with the sheer number of centrifuges. For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif expressed his country's proposal to retain enrichment operations at current levels for the next 3 to 7 years.
To his credit, Mr. Kerry voiced the American administration's position that only a reduction in Iran's nuclear capabilities would be acceptable. Gaps continue to arise between the two sides; the P5+1 and Iran in their discussions and recommendations to advance the issues before them. July 20 was meant to conclude a successful multi-decade agreement.
In the interim some levels of sanctions had been lifted as an incentive to Iran to bargain in good faith to reach an agreement that would eventually release it entirely from sanctions. That sanction relief was clearly, and from the start, presumptive and premature. The six world powers demonstrated good faith, Iran has demonstrated nothing but its contempt for what it considers to be unreasonable interference in its sovereign rights.
The hoped-for setting of clear limits on Iranian nuclear activities along with guarantees in place through an international monitoring regime geared to ensure the Islamic Republic not continue to undertake its covert mission to develop nuclear weapons appears to be shrinking into the negative territory of failure. As many predicted well before this stage was reached.
The interim agreement options an additional six-month window to continue bargaining for a fully acceptable accord. Mr. Kerry is prepared to continue his efforts with a view to gauge "Iran's willingness to make the critical choices it needs to make". Mr. Zarif, for his part stated no problems had been resolved "but I think we have made some important headway".
If he refers to Iran's exquisite capacity to hoodwink the trusting gullible and play for time, he's right on the money. It represents, after all, a protocol that has worked time and again for the skilled communicators that Iran tasks to lull the international community into a state of trusting complacency, while Iran gets on with its nuclear work.
Israel and Saudi Arabia on the other hand, far more familiar with the political protocols of the Islamic Republic of Iran express their skepticism of any overtures leading to arrangements allowing Iran to evade international pressure as it moves steadily and stealthily more comfortably within the nuclear club.
Labels: Iran, Negotiations, Nuclear Technology, P5+1
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, July 16, 2014
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