Has the West lost the stomach to pressure Iran into submission, asks Amani Maged Although Iran's negotiations with the West ended on Tuesday and seem inconclusive with no tangible or obvious results, many analysts and experts believe otherwise. This round of talks, they argue, serves Iran's interests one way or another. A quick look at developments leading up to the talks between Iran and the six world powers (Britain, the US, Russia, China, France and Germany) indicate that the tide is turning in favour of Tehran. Ahead of the meeting, Iranian nuclear negotiator Said Jalili stated his country's position on the talks, describing them as a means to launch better relations without abandoning Tehran's legitimate nuclear rights. Accordingly, Iran's agenda was well known: it believed that talks would follow the same course of previous negotiations 14 months ago, during which it rejected any attempt to curtail its rights, and asserted it would continue on the same path in the next round of talks. Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki reiterated this by highlighting the need for Iran to go beyond discussions of its nuclear programme, as well as incorporating the Islamic Republic's vision of world affairs. Mottaki stated that Iran could have further talks with the US and its allies if Iran's perspective was added to the agenda. Sure enough, the Iranians were able to break the boundaries of discussions, and began by castigating the West and countries present for their lack of concern for the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Majeed Shahryar. Iran also broached the subject of terrorism, saying that so far it had lost 13,000 citizens to it. With this, attention was diverted in a completely different direction. A surprise announcement by Tehran ahead of the talks was news that "yellowcake", a locally produced uranium concentrate, had arrived in Isfahan. This signalled that Iran was forging ahead with its nuclear programme as planned, and it insisted it would pursue its nuclear plans "full steam ahead", as pronounced by the Director of Iran's Atomic Energy Agency Ali Akbar Salehi. Some experts viewed this as a way out of what was seen as a narrow tunnel. It was as if the West gagged on the humble yellowcake and didn't have the stomach to discuss the nuclear programme after Iran flexed its nuclear muscles. Iran came to the negotiating table with a firm strategy, after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a new prerequisite for talks to ensure that they are fruitful, namely that the super powers remove sanctions against Iran. "If you come to negotiations after abandoning your bad attitude and mistaken decisions and lift the sanctions, then discussions are bound to succeed," asserted Ahmadinejad before the second round of talks. He urged "honesty, respect for the rights of the Iranian people and working within the framework of the law." The president proclaimed that the people of Iran are always prepared to negotiate on the basis of justice and law, and called on all world powers to recognise Iran's national rights. Observers assert that the new round of talks slated for the end of next month with Iran's strategic ally Turkey could result in some progress, and pave the way for further negotiations between the two sides. Other experts, however, do not believe that the talks will be held on time because Iran and the West so far cannot agree on a time or the talking points. The best case scenario is that the next round will be a preamble for more talks, like the ones which ended two days ago. Choosing Istanbul as the host for the talks confirms Turkey's strategic role on the international arena, and in the tense relations between Iran and the West. Since signing an agreement for the exchange of uranium with Brazil, its role has expanded. During the next round of talks there is a possibility that some forms of cooperation could be reached, and some common ground possibly arrived at between Iran and the West. Amidst these developments, Iran remained unphased. Foreign Minister Motakki said his country would not use military power against its Muslim neighbours, and it can become "very strong". Once again, he reiterated Iran's view that the UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran have been ineffective. Although the six world powers did not expect any groundbreaking progress in the dialogue, some diplomats believe simply agreeing to another meeting to further discuss core issues is a sign of progress. The West wants Iran to stop enriching uranium which could be used as fuel for nuclear reactors or in atomic bombs if enriched to a higher degree. Ahmadinejad said that this broad subject was not discussed in Geneva. Some members of the Iranian opposition believe that negotiations are just a means to buy time, judging by the gains made by Iran. They argue that the West has already compromised, despite the economic sanctions against Tehran over the past three decades. Overall, the declarations by the Iranians ahead of negotiations -- especially the yellowcake announcement -- meant that they came to the table to dictate conditions, not receive them, or perhaps to give the West a way out of a political dilemma, as purported by Tehran. What is certain is that next month's talks will mark the true beginning of constructive negotiations. This of course, if negotiations are held on time and Iran doesn't procrastinate as usual. Only time will decide whether to launch new talks.
