Working Paper - IRAN-ISRAEL AND THE PROLIFERATING COUNTRIES
MORE FOR LESS ?
The European Union reacted to the upheavals in the Arab world with a quite sensible “more for more” strategy: More political and financial support for more democratic reforms. Two weeks ago, the E3 Plus 3 tried the exact opposite approach, more for less, in their nuclear talks with Iran. While the Iranians upped the ante, announcing just ahead of the Kazakhstan negotiations that they were installing more and advanced enrichment centrifuges, the six world powers offered more sanction relief for less Iranian compliance. Tehran would no longer have to shut down its illegal underground facility in Fordow as previously demanded but merely suspend enrichment there and take steps to make it hard to resume it. The six also agreed, in another concession, that Iran could keep a small amount of 20% enriched uranium.
Not surprisingly, Tehran struck an upbeat note, calling this "a turning point," but equally unsurprising, it did so without accepting any of the softened demands, warning instead that “there is a long distance to reach the suitable point.” All the two sides agreed to in the end was to meet yet again. Tehran won another six weeks or so during which its thousands of centrifuges can continue enriching uranium.