Rejecting Reconciliation Benefits United States

19 May 2009 | 20:20 Code : 4416 General category
The odds will be against us if we are not ready to resolve our difference with United States.By Naser Hadian, university professor and Iran-U.S. affairs analyst.
Rejecting Reconciliation Benefits United States
 In the course of nuclear negotiations, most probably United States will withdraw from its preconditions for resuming talks with Iran. However, halting uranium enrichment will remain an ultimate goal for United States, not as a precondition anymore but as the outcome of the negotiations.

With the current atmosphere, a halfhearted compromise between Iran and West is predictable. This would probably result in Iran retaining a limited number of its centrifuges and continuing enrichment while receiving economic, political, technological, nuclear and security incentives plus some guarantees.

United States joining the talks

New discourse, fresh efforts, revised intentions and concurrence with their demand is what United States will prove to its European allies if it sits at the table for direct talks. In that case, if negotiations failed, Iran didn’t respond to West’s initiatives, and no compromise took place, America would have adequate credit to put further pressure on Iran and win Europeans’ consent. There would also be overwhelming pressure on Russia and China if they decided to back Iran.

What comes out of the negotiations?

In case that Iran resigns itself to a reconcilement with West, a trade-off will most likely occur at the new round of negotiations. What we give and what we take may not necessarily be of a similar essence.

The participation of the most powerful country in the world in upcoming talks can facilitate a final settlement. Iran’s myriad of problems is mostly connected with U.S. Problems are less with America’s European allies or Russia and China. United States’ presence will be effective if we intend to end up the conflict. However I’m not sure whether Iran is truly determined to reconcile. If it’s not serious about burying bones of contention, America’s participation will have reverse effects and it would lead to increasing economic and diplomatic pressures on Iran.

Therefore, the new round of nuclear talks will be significantly different from the previous meetings. Iran and America have however had both direct and indirect talks on Iraq before. To engage in diplomatic negotiations United States had sought halting uranium enrichment by Iran but now it seems that they’re ready to give up the stipulation and pay a price for short-term. Apparently the odds will be against us if we are not ready to resolve our difference with United States within the new framework.