Even as Iran steps up its aggressive rhetoric to the point of directly threatening the U.S. and Israel, the media are falling for the latest in the regime’s diplomatic feints: namely, concessions that would allow U.N. inspectors greater access to Iranian nuclear sites, as well as information about explosive devices used in nuclear weapons.
These concessions are meaningless, for three basic reasons. First, Iran refuses to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect its military sites, such as Parchin. Second, Iran has not been forthcoming with details about its past nuclear development. Third, the world already knows the likely purpose of the explosive triggers.
The game Iran is playing is not a new one. The regime keeps up the façade of cooperation, knowing that doing so frustrates international coordination and boosts the political leverage of those who, like President Barack Obama, want to avoid military confrontation with Iran as a matter of principle, rather than strategy.
Other rogue regimes have done the same. Iran, however, is playing the game particularly well. It has turned the Obama administration into a virtual, if unwitting, strategic partner as it increases its regional power through the nuclear talks and other means. The latest concessions cost it nothing, but significantly advance its interests.
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