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Analysis: Hints of Compromise on Iran

Council on Foreign Relations

September 12, 2006
Prepared by: Lionel Beehner

Concessions, compromise, and confidence-building measures—the hallmarks of any diplomatic deal—have been somewhat lacking in negotiations with Iran. That may change, however, as Washington and Tehran both appear to be softening their stances (WashPost). In high stakes talks over the weekend, Iran’s chief negotiator Ali Larijani signaled he would not rule out a temporary two-month suspension of Tehran’s uranium-enrichment activities, despite objections from some hard-line Iranian critics (NYT). The suspension, of course, would come with strings attached: The UN Security Council must first drop Iran from its agenda and return the case to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has indicated a willingness to halt U.S. calls for sanctions against Iran in exchange for a temporary suspension. It is not clear whether or not the compromise would lead to direct U.S.-Iran negotiations (previously Washington had called for a permanent halt to enrichment activities before any direct discussion could take place). The United States has already put backdoor financial pressure on Tehran by barring Iranian banks—many of them state owned—from the U.S. financial system (AP).

Last month, Iran rejected a formal proposal by China, Russia, France, Great Britain, Germany, and the United States to suspend its enrichment activities in exchange for a package of political and economic incentives. At the time, Iran said it was within its rights, granted by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. U.S. officials suspect Iran wants to build a bomb and are pressing China and Russia to back up their tough talk against Tehran with the threat of sanctions. Iran’s recent hints that it may temporarily halt enrichment activities may indicate other priorities.

Read the rest of this article on the cfr.org website.

Copyright 2006 by the Council on Foreign Relations. This material is republished on GlobalSecurity.org with specific permission from the cfr.org. Reprint and republication queries for this article should be directed to cfr.org.