Iran's offer to talk nukes: A win for the West?

Tehran says it's willing to resume discussions, but insists it won't cave to foreign demands that it stop enriching uranium

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
(Image credit: Miguel Angel Romero/presidencia/dpa/Corbis)

Facing a potentially devastating oil embargo, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that his government was ready to resume talks with foreign leaders who want to curb Iran's controversial nuclear program. But Ahmadinejad said international pressure would not force his country to give up enriching uranium, a demand that caused talks to break down last year. Are tough sanctions working, or is Ahmadinejad just trying to trick the West into loosening the noose?

It's foolish to trust Iran: Ahmadinejad and Iran's ruling mullahs aren't really seeking a nuclear truce, says Jonathan S. Tobin at Commentary. They're just trying to give President Obama "an excuse to back away from the confrontation." They know Obama has to talk tough to counter election-year attacks from Republicans, but they're confident he's in no rush to start an embargo that could trigger "a spike in oil and gas prices and help send an already shaky economy into another tailspin."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up