Does this sound like a good deal?
I'm skeptical this is going to achieve anything...
The foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany persuaded Iran on Wednesday to continue its freeze on nuclear activities, averting a diplomatic crisis that could have led to punitive international measures against Iran.The Iranians know how to string along the Europeans...
In exchange, the Europeans offered to present Iran with detailed, step-by-step proposals by early August at the latest on how to move toward consensus on the shape of Iran's nuclear program. Last November in Paris, Iran agreed to suspend all of its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities while it negotiated the economic, nuclear, political and security benefits it would receive.
Despite the progress on Wednesday, the Europeans and the Iranians remain far apart on their ultimate goals. The Europeans want to prolong the freeze in Iran's enrichment activities until it becomes permanent, doling out trade, political, economic and security rewards, including access to nuclear energy, along the way.
The Iranians, by contrast, insist the freeze is only temporary. Iranian officials have pointed out that they are not required under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to freeze these activities and are doing so on a voluntary basis to show good will.
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