Iran’s surprise package tests waters

The White House has been quick to dismiss it, and certain European diplomats have criticized it for “sidestepping” the nuclear issue, yet a close scrutiny of Iran’s “Proposed Package for Constructive Negotiations” reveals a new Iranian sentiment in favor of compromise and flexibility on the country’s nuclear activities.
This document, which has been submitted to the United Nations as well as the governments of the “Iran Six” group (ie, the UN Security Council’s five permanent members – the United States, France, Russia, China and Britain, plus Germany), has been

proposed as a “basis for comprehensive and thorough negotiations with the said countries”, to paraphrase Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Mohammad Khazaee. It expresses Iran’s readiness to “start serious and targeted negotiations to produce a tangible result. The negotiations can be evaluated after a specific period of time [a maximum of six months] to decide about its continuation”.

This may well mean that Iran is open to the idea of a temporary suspension of uranium-enrichment activities for the duration of negotiations, as reportedly called for by the Iran Six nations in their new “incentive package” to Iran, due to be delivered shortly by a delegation led by the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Javier Solana.

Since any such compromise on Iran’s part may be negatively interpreted in the region and beyond as a sign of Iran’s weakness, it must be linked to certain value-adding, prestige-enhancing results for Iran’s foreign policy, otherwise it will be a hard sell at home. As a regional power that is concerned about the prospects of a regional nuclear arms race, Iran can definitely take some of the steam from the engine of proliferation in Persian Gulf and beyond by striking a deal that brings greater stability to the region and, simultaneously, compensates for its nuclear compromise by increasing its regional clout through the arch of “collective cooperation”, to cite Iran’s package.

Asia Times