"A couple notes on the international talks with Iran that just wrapped up at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna this week. Diplomatic sources tell POLITICO that among the most interesting dynamics to emerge was increasing, direct US-Iranian contact being at the centerpiece of the talks, that brought diplomatic teams and technical specialists from Washington, Paris, Moscow and Tehran to Vienna. On Tuesday, for instance, the US, Iran and IAEA teams met for most of the day separately, diplomatic sources said, although there was a 5pm plenary session involving the French and Russians as well..........
Apparently only two countries are capable of doing that kind of processing, France and Argentina. Iran reportedly raised a surprise objection earlier this week to France's role, because of an historical diplomatic dispute that France and Iran had resolved back in 1991. The Iranian objections may have been an effort to split the international team negotiating on the issue, but nevertheless led to some frustration.
While the Vienna meetings seemed to demonstrate more evidence that Iran has made a decison to engage on the nuclear and other issues, the fact that it reportedly tried to pick a fight with a leading member of the international team involved in the negotiations is a concern that has to be contended with to maintain international unity. Just as Iranian pride or need for face saving are factors that have to be taken into account in the exquisitely complicated international diplomatic effort being waged, so too does the pride and potential offense taken by other members of the team, or other wrinkles and objections could emerge....
Speaking at an event last night hosted by the National Security Network, former US Ambassador to Moscow Thomas Pickering and MIT professor Jim Walsh, who have pursued track 2 diplomacy with Iran, said that the deal could conceivably do something more important: help put time on the international community's side in pursuing international negotiations with Iran. Walsh said the longer the discussions go on, the more likely that Iran will not make the political decision to make a nuclear weapon. "
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