U.S. and Iran to Talk Nukes?
Politico reports that President Barack Obama wants to meet with Iran by the end of the year and talk about the rogue state’s nuclear ambitions.
This week Obama met with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to talk about problems in the Middle East and possible solutions. This was the first formal meeting between the two leaders. By now Netanyahu probably doubts the president is committed to dealing with Iran and using force if necessary. Obama said he will give Iran several months to respond to his overtures, but made clear the timetable for talks is not a hard deadline. He said, “By the end of the year I think we should have some sense as to whether or not the talks are having some benefit.”
As expected, Israel would like the talks to commence as soon as possible. Our ally wants to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon, but the rogue state insists its program is peaceful and scientific. Only the most naive and fatally optimistic would believe such a claim.
Iran will remain a sticking point between Obama and Netanyahu, with the former preferring diplomacy and the latter favoring more aggressive action. Based on Obama’s lukewarm support for strong missile defense, we predict Iran will be a point of contention between the U.S. and Israel as long as Obama’s in office.
Tags: Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran, Israel