Unclear U.S. Policy and Lack of Global Unity is Allowing Tehran to Buy Time

By Jumana Al Tamimi, Associate Editor

Washington has said it keeps all doors open, including the one for tougher sanctions. But in reality, it doesn't have the support of all of the Security Council members and Germany. ceased weapons plans. When Iranian and Western nuclear experts meet next week in Vienna to follow up on earlier talks on Tehran's nuclear programme they will have an unannounced agenda: to see which side is negotiating from a position of strength. Each side will attempt to test how safe the water is. Different parties' positions ebb and flow, particularly the Americans', and this, coupled with the absence of a unified stance from the world's six powers, is encouraging Tehran to buy time, many analysts believe. Therefore, they don't expect tangible results out of Monday's meeting. "Absolutely nothing," Mustafa Alani, senior adviser and programme director of Security and Terrorism Studies at Dubai-based Gulf Research Centre, replied when asked about his expectations of the meeting. "The Iranians are buying time. They will give things which are really not in the heart of the issue. The Americans can do nothing, or do very little. The Russians will [set] objectives [to tighten economic sanctions on Iran]." Alani told Gulf News that he believed the Iranians' strategy of winning time was working. Since he came to power, US President Barack Obama declared his commitment to use engagement and diplomacy as tools to achieve the objectives of US foreign policy, including the Iranian issue.

While the military option with regard to Iran is not on the table at present, US policy is "basically a policy which has a clear objective to stop the Iranians [from acquiring a military nuclear programme], but it has no clear-cut outcome," Alani explained. Washington has said it keeps all doors open, including the one for tougher sanctions. But in reality, it doesn't have the support of all of the Security Council members and Germany. Division has not only become clearer but also deeper. It manifested when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Moscow on Tuesday seeking explanations from Russia on "what specific forms of pressure Russia would be prepared for to join us" if Iran did not keep its promise to the international community not to develop nuclear weapons. Threatening Iran with more sanctions will be "counterproductive", Russia Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov responded. Washington has described October 19, as well as October 25 when experts from the international nuclear watchdog are scheduled to inspect the recently revealed nuclear facility at Qum, as "important dates" that will set the tone for future relations. "[The] upcoming meetings are extremely important dates," Jeffrey D. Feltman, Assistant US Secretary of State for Near Eastern affairs, said. (Read more...)