Call their bluff with regard to their claims of only wanting to produce fuel for nuclear power plants. Tell them they are welcome to build Thorium reactors. Maybe we could even offer to help finance the effort. And, as they don't have to deal with all those pesky environmental nut jobs insisting on endless safety studies, and environmental impact studies, they could make some progress where we can't.
Israel is the Stick, but what’s the Carrot? The classic negotiation tactic is to start immovable - no enrichment at all - then give in a little with an inducement of some kind. The Carrot is the lure and the reward. If Trump plays to form, at some point he will offer something of value to Iran, allowing them to save face and feel as though they have at least partially “won”. I just don’t know what Trump can offer that is big enough to compensate for “no enrichment “. Maybe there is something that would pair nicely with 3% enrichment (but no more than that).
Iran would benefit bigly from being able to sell its oil openly and not have to engage in the circuitous methods of sanction-busting.
The challenge is not whether Trump will offer something of value, but whether Iran will value what Trump offers. The mullahs in Tehran have resisted the sanctions regime for decades as it is, which suggests that the usual diplomatic overtures and economic inducements may not have the expected traction with them.
The problem is that if Iran is willing to remain outside the regular maritime trading order, then there is no diplomatic initiative which will restrain their potential use of nuclear weapons. Twelver Shi'a Islam has an apocalyptic aspect in that when the End Times approach, the Twelfth Imam--their Mahdi--will return from "occultation" to lead the Ummayah to Paradise.
Some have assessed that aspect of their belief to mean the mullahs would spark a nuclear war BECAUSE it would bring about the end of the world.
Call their bluff with regard to their claims of only wanting to produce fuel for nuclear power plants. Tell them they are welcome to build Thorium reactors. Maybe we could even offer to help finance the effort. And, as they don't have to deal with all those pesky environmental nut jobs insisting on endless safety studies, and environmental impact studies, they could make some progress where we can't.
Now that's a thought. Sidestep enrichment completely by switching to a completely different nuclear technology.
That's not a bad idea--not just for Iran but for NPT issues around the world.
Israel is the Stick, but what’s the Carrot? The classic negotiation tactic is to start immovable - no enrichment at all - then give in a little with an inducement of some kind. The Carrot is the lure and the reward. If Trump plays to form, at some point he will offer something of value to Iran, allowing them to save face and feel as though they have at least partially “won”. I just don’t know what Trump can offer that is big enough to compensate for “no enrichment “. Maybe there is something that would pair nicely with 3% enrichment (but no more than that).
The carrot would be trade and no sanctions.
Iran would benefit bigly from being able to sell its oil openly and not have to engage in the circuitous methods of sanction-busting.
The challenge is not whether Trump will offer something of value, but whether Iran will value what Trump offers. The mullahs in Tehran have resisted the sanctions regime for decades as it is, which suggests that the usual diplomatic overtures and economic inducements may not have the expected traction with them.
The problem is that if Iran is willing to remain outside the regular maritime trading order, then there is no diplomatic initiative which will restrain their potential use of nuclear weapons. Twelver Shi'a Islam has an apocalyptic aspect in that when the End Times approach, the Twelfth Imam--their Mahdi--will return from "occultation" to lead the Ummayah to Paradise.
Some have assessed that aspect of their belief to mean the mullahs would spark a nuclear war BECAUSE it would bring about the end of the world.
Wow - I did not know this. I sure hope Trump does!
Again, you should be advising in the White House, Peter.
Don’t tell me, tell The Donald! :D