Will There Be More Carrots or Sticks in Vienna?
By Paul Barker
It will be interesting to assess the competing stockpiles of carrots and sticks that are brought to Vienna for the 29 November 2021 resumption of talks aiming to restore the JCPOA to health. Rob Malley has been working hard to align the negotiating positions of all P5 + 1 members who will assemble for the talks. To date American stick pile of ‘maximum pressure’ through enhanced sanctions has been met with the Iranian stick collection of advanced nuclear research and uranium enrichment. Are the two sides willing to test their supplies of carrots to offer meaningful humanitarian sanctions relief followed soon by full reversal of Trump era sanction, all to be matched by an Iranian immediate freeze on nuclear enrichment and return to full IAEA access to Iran’s nuclear facilities to then soon be followed by a reversal of all Iranian steps which exceed limits agreed in the JCPOA?
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