Facing U.N. sanctions over its nuclear activities, Iran has surprised the world with the announcement that it plans to send half its stockpile of nuclear fuel to Turkey. Brokered by Brazil, the agreement is similar to a U.S.-backed plan from a year ago, except that this one would leave Iran with enough material for a nuke. The U.S. has expressed skepticism and is still pushing for sanctions. Is Iran serious about peace, or just buying time to build a nuclear bomb? (Watch a Fox report about Iran's nuclear deal)
Give the deal a chance: There's reason to be cautiously optimistic about Iran's agreement to "abandon its alleged nuclear weapons program," says Jonathan Wheatley at the Financial Times. The deal could still "dissolve into yet another false diplomatic dawn" — but it "might also help avert war," so it's certainly worth a try.
"Brazil’s Iranian mission defies critics, brings possible results"
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Iran is playing everyone for fools: The deal is "a major diplomatic coup" — for Iran, says The Washington Post in an editorial. The hardline regime has no intention to give up its nuclear ambitions, but by exploiting "the eagerness of the Brazilian and Turkish leaders to prove themselves as global players," it may yet succeed in averting U.N. sanctions.
"Bad nuclear deal... hands Iran a diplomatic coup"
Iran spoiled its own victory: The deal sounded good at first, says Julian Borger in The Guardian. Then Iran's foreign ministry inadvertently gave Western hawks a "glimmer of hope," with its "stunning" announcement that deal or no deal, it will continue enrich uranium to 20 percent. That's proof positive that Iran still wants to build a bomb — and it may be enough of a basis to get U.N. sanctions passed anyway.
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