Feeble Iran’s Nuclear Talks

Amid news of the latest disclosure by the Iranian opposition NCRI that Iran is forging ties with North Korea over nuclear weapons, U.S. and Iranian diplomats met in Geneva Saturday in an effort to bridge differences over how quickly to lift economic sanctions on Tehran and how significantly the Iranians must open up military facilities to international inspections. Members of the US Congress are reasonably skeptical of Iran’s intentions and believe the US Obama’s dire need for a victory on his foreign policy before the US elections has placed on the weak side of the talks. Grasping Obama’s weakness, Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei last week ruled out inspections at military sites that is the focal point for any nuclear deal with Iran. AFP news agency reported that the French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Wednesday that France would oppose a nuclear deal with Iran if it did not allow inspections of military sites. 

The countries in the Middle East in addition to Iran’s  nuclear quest are worried about its support for terrorists groups. Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at the start of a conference in Kuwait aimed at combating the spread of jihadist organizations last week urged Iran to cooperate with the international community to resolve the dispute over its nuclear program. He further indicated that Tehran must abstain from meddling in the GCC countries’ internal affairs.

Commenting on the recent NCRI’s disclosures, the New York Times commented, “such cooperation would belie Tehran’s insistence that it is not pursuing a nuclear weapon and would necessarily blow up any nuclear agreement. Therefore it is clear that Obama’s administration will just stop at taking the matter serious but will continue placating the Iranian regime to reach a deal with the mullahs in Iran, how bad a deal is not important.”

Joining Kerry and Zarif in Switzerland today was U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. American nuclear negotiator Wendy Sherman and her Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi attended, too. Abbas Araghchi also rallied behind Ali Khamenei last week to rule out any inspections at Iranian military sites. It will be a disaster for the world if US would give in to such Iranian threat.