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Iranians Feeling Far More Emboldened than Previously Thought

(BESA Center for Strategic Studies-Bar-Ilan University) Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaacov Amidror - Presumptions about the nuclear negotiations with Iran were wrong. It was assumed that at the very last moment, the Iranians would offer a small gesture to ensure that the agreement would be signed. But this assumption was wrong. The Iranians are feeling far more emboldened than previously thought. They have come to believe the six world powers are more eager to ink an agreement than they are. Iran knows that as long as the negotiations continue it need not worry about a military strike or any new economic sanctions. It also knows that the longer the talks drag out, the better the offer it will be able to secure. This is how things have always been in the history of Iran's negotiations with the West. The Iranians want to be able to pursue nuclear weapons development more quickly, without the risk of severe consequences. The odds of the Iranians relenting on their demands without graver sanctions and a serious military threat are slim. Unfortunately, the odds of the six powers compromising further, on other significant issues, are much greater. The U.S. has created a situation by which a deal - any deal - is the West's only exit strategy. In addition, alleviating the sanctions imposed on Iran has released the pressure off it. The writer is a former Israeli national security advisor.
2014-12-05 00:00:00
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