Having rebounded in recent weeks on the expectation of the new nuclear talks, Iran’s currency, the rial, dropped over the weekend following US statements panning the first week of indirect talks, and souring the chances of a deal.
The US wasn’t directly involved in the first week of talks, and Iran put in two statements seeking consensus, the first on Iran’s obligations and the second on the sanctions relief expected. Reports are that these were straightforward, and Iran didn’t consider either controversial. They added that once these were accepted, a third statement would be offered on assurances they wanted that the deal would be honored.
Instead, the US State Department says that they prove Iran isn’t open to compromise, and that the talks are non-serious. This led the US to briefly end the talks, though they’re going to start up again this week, meaning really they just took a weekend off.
It reflects a core problem in the talks though, that Iran tried to advance toward the deal by offering a non-controversial joint statement base to build on, while the US was assuming “compromise” would be offered before the US was even involved.
Whether Iran is refusing compromise or the US is being deliberately ornery, the result is the same, and the talks are facing a tough environment.
It’s true that Iran isn’t interested in talking. They’re interested in completing the deal, not simply talking about it without end while additional sanctions heap up, which is what America is interested in.
Ever wonder how the JCPOA was signed by the US in 2015? I do every day. It’s not like the neocons and neoliberals were not in total control at the time. Was it Obama? It doesn’t make sense since almost everything else he did in foreign policy was a long list of war crimes. It’s a mystery to me.
Obama personally wanted a foreign policy feather for his cap, especially with Syria, Libya, et al. making him look bad.
So, after 15 years of the US offering conditions, the Iranians cheerfully agreeing to them, then the US backing out, Obama finally took “yes” for an answer. And then only partially followed through (since the feather was in his cap by then), and left it to Trump to openly renege on.
“Ornery” is such a polite word and I respect the author’s choice of words because a multitude of words enter my vocabulary, none of them polite enough to write. It is time to sit everyones asses down at the table, pound out a deal, get the damn thing done already and move forward!
God supposedly created the world in seven days! Let’s get the damn lead out!
There is nothing to talk about…! All talks that took over a year were done by Iran’s previous government…!
Did anyone seriously think that the United States would negotiate in good faith?
Bingo Feral, the U.S. talks a good game, but never seems 2 approach fair or even handed. It’s power, raw power that can be expected. Not any way related to rule of law and proof of guilt.