Not sure what this means in the great scheme of things, but Iran’s representative to the IAEA has announced a new deal with Russia to enrich uranium:
(CBS/AP) Iran’s envoy to the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Saturday the Islamic republic had reached a “basic deal” with the Kremlin to form a joint uranium enrichment venture on Russian territory, state-run television reported.
Ali Asghar Soltanieh, envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, “spoke of a basic agreement between Iran and Russia to set up a joint uranium enrichment firm on Russian soil,” Iranian state television reported.
There is no indication that Iran will stop its own enrichment program (currently still in a research phase). However, any such deal would only serve to strengthen Russia’s opposition to the types of UN Security Council sanctions the Bush administration has been seeking. So far its efforts in that regard have been in vain:
Earlier this week, a U.S. diplomat said that envoys from the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany discussed sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, but failed to agree on how to proceed.
Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told CBS Evening News anchor Bob Schieffer Tuesday that although the nearly three hours of talks failed to lead to agreement on sanctions, the diplomats did agree “that Iran should hear a stiff message from the international community” that it shouldn’t have a nuclear program.
There will be no sanctions. Iran is winning the diplomatic war in the Security Council and with the IAEA. However, it may prove to be a pyrrhic victory, since I believe that Bolton has no intention of achieving a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear program.
All along the Bush administration has talked up its desire to use diplomacy to seek a solution to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but it’s actions indicate a refusal to proceed wholeheartedly with that approach. Bilateral or multilateral talks with Iran and the US have continually been rejected by the Bush administration, even though that is the most likely strategy to resolve this “crisis” without a resort to military intervention. It’s certainly the stance we have adopted with North Korea. That we are refusing to even meet with Iran to discuss these issues is the clearest sign that Bush is bent on war.
I’m not sure what Russia’s new deal with Iran will accomplish other than to give Putin diplomatic cover at the UN to continue to (1) resist sanctions and (2) supply arms and military technology to Iran. A sane US leader would reach out at this point to attempt to roll up this uranium enrichment deal between Iran and Russia as part of a comprehensive negotiated settlement to include new IAEA inspection protocols and a reinstatement of the terms of the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty). However, I doubt it will make much of an impression on Bush. Indeed, it may only harden his heart and make him more determined to attack Iran.
