[Christian Science Monitor] Scott Peterson - Iran appears in no rush to negotiate over its controversial nuclear program, emboldened by factors which range from an ironclad belief in the rightness of its nuclear case, to record-high oil prices, and the state of conflicts in Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan that Tehran believes have given Iran an advantage over U.S. and Israeli foes. "Iran does not feel the need to compromise on this; they are creating facts on the ground [by efforts to enrich uranium]," says Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran analyst for the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. "If this argument was taking place in 2002, when oil was $25 per barrel...Iran's calculations would be much, much different," he said. "The Iranian view at this moment is that they are on a winning streak," says Ali Ansari, an Iran expert at St. Andrews University in Scotland.
2006-09-07 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive