The Decisive Stage of Nuclear Talks with Iran: Will Diplomacy Deliver?

The Joint Plan of Action was codified with bells and whistles, and the nuclear negotiations between the P5+1 and Iran were subsequently granted yet another extension, culminating in a joint statement of principles toward a comprehensive agreement. At the end of the day, however, additional time might not prove to be a panacea. Since a variety of factors will very probably conspire to complicate what already is an excruciatingly thorny problem for Israel and the world alike, the lack of resolve might be detrimental as time goes by. It seems that the omnipresent media coverage concerning the number and level of sophistication of the centrifuges installed in Iran deals only with the tip of the iceberg, and indeed, other issues should not be glossed over in a potential final agreement. Those who clamor for tougher stances and say that no deal is better than a bad deal might flex their muscles with a Republican-controlled US Congress. But the longer the postponements and extensions stretch out, the more likely something will go awry.