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Obama's Signal to Iran

(Washington Post) David Ignatius - President Obama has signaled Iran that the U.S. would accept an Iranian civilian nuclear program if Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei can back up his recent public claim that his nation "will never pursue nuclear weapons." This verbal message was sent through Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, who visited Khamenei last week. But the diplomatic path still seems blocked, judging by recent haggling over the meeting place for negotiations. U.S. officials see this foot-dragging as a sign that the Iranian leadership is still struggling to frame its negotiating position. As Iran's leadership debates its negotiating stance, the squeeze of Western sanctions is becoming tighter. Nat Kern, the editor of Foreign Reports, a leading oil newsletter, forecasts that Iran will lose about a third of its oil exports by mid-summer. It may get even worse if China and the EU follow through on recent warnings that they might stop insuring tankers carrying Iranian crude.
2012-04-06 00:00:00
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