Never-ending nuclear talks with Iran are bordering on the absurd
America and Europe may soon have to decide whether to pull the plug on the process
Much has changed in the nearly 18 months since Iran and world powers started trying to salvage their nuclear deal of 2015. Three of the seven parties to the accord have new leaders. A fourth invaded its neighbour. What was meant as a brief run of negotiations became a marathon. Yet negotiators flock back every few months for more meetings at the home of the un’s watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (iaea) in Vienna.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “An unenriching debate”
Middle East & Africa September 10th 2022
More from Middle East and Africa
Israeli retaliation in Lebanon seems inevitable
But it still wants to avoid all-out war against Hizbullah
Why the AI revolution is leaving Africa behind
Large infrastructure gaps are creating a new digital divide
Rwandan soldiers may outnumber M23 rebels in Congo
The prospect of dislodging the rebels is becoming dimmer
Bibi Netanyahu offered spectacle over substance in America
His fourth address to Congress was historic, but held few answers for Israelis
Israel and the Houthis trade bombs and bluster
For now, though, neither side is a strategic threat to the other
The world court says Israel’s occupation is illegal
But will the International Court of Justice’s ruling have any effect?