RIP Iranian Nuclear Deal?
Opinion by Newsweek
WORLD 05 June 2023 - 23:01
Newsweek has published an opinion piece arguing that the US and Iran have trapped themselves in a diplomatic maze with no exit point. Caliber.Az reprints the article.
The Iranian nuclear program remains a heavy albatross around the Biden administration's neck. The United States and its European allies haven't engaged in substantive negotiations with Tehran on the nuclear file since last September when the Iranians walked away from what Washington said was the best deal they were likely to get. The US and Iran have spent the last 10 months blaming each other for the impasse, urging one another to be cooperative and acquiring more leverage in the event talks do resume.
The odds don't look promising. This week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued its most recent quarterly report on the state of Iran's nuclear work. Its findings: Iran increased the quantity of its high-enriched uranium by 27 per cent over the last three months, and its total enriched uranium stockpile is now at 4,745 kilograms, more than 15 times what it was permitted under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). All of this comes as the Iranians are constructing an underground centrifuge production facility near the nuclear facility at Natanz—a facility that will be so deep that not even Washington's bunker-buster bombs would be able to destroy it.
All of this comes as the US has bigger priorities, at least from the Biden administration's perspective. Ensuring Ukraine has the resources it needs to push Russian forces out of their country and managing a US-China relationship that could use a long therapy session get top billing. Washington has been content pretending the Iranian nuclear issue doesn't exist or would magically go away. In January, Secretary of State Antony Blinken went as far as to say that reviving the nuclear deal hadn't been "on the agenda as a practical matter" for months. President Biden even said last December that the deal was "dead."
Iran is primarily at fault here. Iranian negotiators could have ended this saga last summer, when there was a draft agreement on the table that would have given them the sanctions relief they so desperately wanted. Instead of taking "yes" for an answer, Tehran laid on additional demands, which included the IAEA dropping all of its investigations on Iran's past nuclear work and eliciting a concrete commitment that a future US president wouldn't re-impose sanctions like former President Donald Trump did.
The US doesn't get off scot-free either. Over time, the White House began meshing nuclear and non-nuclear issues together, making the resumption of diplomacy even more difficult. The US didn't want to be seen as offering the Iranian government a financial lifeline at the same time Iranian security forces were killing unarmed protesters in the streets. Politically, it was also dicey to sit down with the same country that was selling cheap but lethal drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine (the Russians sent 54 of those "Shahed" drones into Kyiv earlier this week, according to the Ukrainian air force). Striking a deal, any deal, with Iran was always going to be a politically controversial move in the Beltway, particularly on Capitol Hill, which tends to be more interested in showmanship rather than substance. Add a bunch of Iranian drones menacing the daily lives of Ukrainians, however, and the controversy is higher than usual.
Linking nuclear and non-nuclear issues, though, was always a mistake. It's difficult enough to arrive at a mutually-acceptable arrangement on mind-numbingly technical details like IAEA inspections, centrifuge development, the pace of financial and energy sanctions relief. But it becomes downright impossible when a precondition for continuing those tough negotiations is a marked change in Iran's entire foreign policy—something we would obviously like to have, but practically speaking is akin to shooting for the moon.
Is the Biden administration finally recognizing that they made a mistake? Possibly. US officials are again expressing interest in getting nuclear talks with Iran back on track. Robert Malley, Biden's special envoy to Iran, told NPR this week that while the US will keep all options on the table (i.e. military force) to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, diplomacy was and still is the administration's preferred option to resolve the nuclear dispute. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who had an integral role in negotiating the JCPOA during his time in the Obama administration, invoked similar words during a speech at a Washington think tank earlier in the month. "We are going to continue to take action to, yes, deter Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and then to seek a diplomatic solution that puts this on a long-term pathway of stability," Sullivan said.
If reports are accurate, the administration is already laying the groundwork for a resumption of diplomacy. Brett McGurk, President Biden's senior Middle East official in the White House, travelled to Oman this month to discuss how it might be possible to continue where the Americans and Iranians left off in September. It's no surprise why Washington would go through Muscat: The neutral Omanis have been one of the Middle East's most effective diplomatic facilitators, and they have a notable history of dealing with the Iranians directly.
The US and Iran have trapped themselves in a diplomatic maze with no exit point. It doesn't appear that either country wants to kill negotiations outright since the viable alternatives, like tit-for-tat grey zone activities and outright military confrontation, are even worse. Yet both are still hesitant to embrace the mutual compromises that are required to actually make negotiations a success.
Caliber.Az
1
|
Phantom arms deal: How false claims aim to derail Baku-Tehran diplomacy Azerbaijan embraces "forewarned is forearmed" principle
25 July 2024 - 15:34
|
2
|
Could France’s anti-NATO rhetoric trigger domestic turmoil? Leftist Mélenchon's stance sparks historical echoes
24 July 2024 - 10:24
|
3
|
Azerbaijan: The new powerhouse of aluminium production amid global market strain "Green" era's requirement
25 July 2024 - 17:05
|
4
|
Brussels' bait and Yerevan's rush to swallow it The visa-free temptation
24 July 2024 - 09:00
|
5
|
West-backed Armenia likely to spark conflict with Azerbaijan rather than seek peace Caliber.Az reveals expert prognoses
25 July 2024 - 11:10
|
Japan addressing increasing incidents of customer harassment
Service culture under strain27 July 2024 - 03:05
Swiss spots struggle with social media-driven visitor impact
Tourism vs. nature27 July 2024 - 01:03
German chancellor tackles EU expansion, internal reform challenges
Path forward26 July 2024 - 23:03
Italian newspaper explores Azerbaijan's ancient Albanian churches
26 July 2024 - 21:08
Azerbaijani prosecutor general declares ties with Türkiye as strategic partnership
PHOTO26 July 2024 - 20:55
Azerbaijan, Italy strengthening military relations
PHOTO26 July 2024 - 20:42
China demands withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from Europe
26 July 2024 - 20:29
Pentagon concedes to spreading anti-Sinovac propaganda in Philippines
26 July 2024 - 20:16
COP29 presidency team hosts events to tackle key climate agenda issues
26 July 2024 - 20:03
Israel targets Türkiye’s TRT Haber team covering Al-Aqsa mosque incident
26 July 2024 - 19:51
COP20 president: Azerbaijan should lead with ambition at COP29
26 July 2024 - 19:38
Turkish defence minister, Azerbaijani ambassador discuss strengthening military ties
26 July 2024 - 19:25
FBI seeking to interview Trump as part of assassination attempt investigation
26 July 2024 - 19:12
US presidential candidate cites potential path to victory with Biden out of race
26 July 2024 - 18:58
Turkish MP confirms plans for official Azerbaijani school in Istanbul
26 July 2024 - 18:44
US vice president’s call for peace in Gaza sparks controversy with Israel
26 July 2024 - 18:30
FM: Italy to appoint ambassador to Syria after 10 years
26 July 2024 - 18:17
Head of Georgian Parliament blames opposition for compromising national safety
Aid to Ukraine at Georgia’s expense26 July 2024 - 18:03
South Caucasus on edge: West fuels Armenia's war drums
Yerevan clings to deceitful rhetoric26 July 2024 - 18:02
Media: Iran arms Hezbollah with advanced weapons
26 July 2024 - 17:49
Bolsonaro intends to run for Brazilian presidency in 2026, citing confidence in winning
26 July 2024 - 17:36
Armenian PM visits modernised Margara checkpoint on Turkish border
VIDEO26 July 2024 - 17:22
Boeing considers to convert its top fighter into an electronic warfare jet
Caliber.Az on YouTube26 July 2024 - 17:17
Belarus ready to expand cooperation with North Korea
26 July 2024 - 17:09
EU appoints new special representative for South Caucasus
26 July 2024 - 17:01
Azerbaijani-Chinese partnership defies "first among equals" attitudes
Rising above geopolitical cynicism26 July 2024 - 16:55
Armenia's militarization: A "peace agenda" with an armed approach
Yerevan must revisit recent historical lessons26 July 2024 - 16:42
Azerbaijan approves cooperation pacts with Türkiye, Kazakhstan
26 July 2024 - 16:33
Media: US informs Iran of readiness to return to nuclear deal
26 July 2024 - 16:29
Turkish forces take down PKK terrorists in coordinated Iraq and Syria raids
VIDEO26 July 2024 - 16:16
Israeli air strikes hit Hezbollah outposts in response to rocket fire
26 July 2024 - 16:03
Kremlin spox: EU ridicules Orban over Moscow visit
26 July 2024 - 15:51
Armenian parliamentary delegation visits Georgia to strengthen bilateral ties
26 July 2024 - 15:38
Washington talks peace while arming Yerevan
26 July 2024 - 15:38
Travellers from 13 nations explore rebuilding of Karabakh, East Zangazur
PHOTO26 July 2024 - 15:25
European Commission transfers €1.5 billion from frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine's defence
26 July 2024 - 15:25
Trump says US to destroy Iran in case of his assassination
26 July 2024 - 15:12
Kremlin declares dialogue with West futile amid hostility toward Russia
26 July 2024 - 14:59
Somalia, Azerbaijan share common positions on many international forums
Minister’s statement26 July 2024 - 14:46
Azerbaijan promoting tourism potential in India
PHOTO26 July 2024 - 14:33