WarSclerotic

‘Obama mulling compromise on Ira… JPost – Iranian Threat – News.

Photo: REUTERS/Tolga Adanali/Pool

The Obama administration is hinting that it would be open to making concessions over Iran’s nuclear program so long as the country agrees to numerous safeguards, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

According to the report, US government officials have been hinting that in upcoming P5+1 (United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia) talks, Obama may allow Iran to continue to enrich uranium up to 5 percent purity- the upper end range for civilian purposes- in exchange for Tehran agreeing to unrestricted inspections, strict oversight of the nuclear program and numerous other safeguards long demanded by the IAEA, the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

The idea of allowing Tehran to continue to enrich uranium is contentious considering that even at 5% enrichment, Iranian scientists might still be able to gain the knowledge and experience to someday build a bomb, the report stated.

The White House has long denied being open to a compromise on Iranian enrichment.

Talks between Iran and the P5+1 that took place earlier this month were praised by the White House as a “positive first step,” but Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called them a “five-week gift for Iran to continue enriching uranium.”

The P5+1 are due to meet Iran for a second round of nuclear negotiations on May 23 in Baghdad.

A senior administration official was quoted by the Times as saying that “there can be a discussion” of allowing low-level domestic enrichment. The report also cited Gary Samore, a top White House official on nuclear proliferation, as saying that which parts of Tehran’s program can continue “is a matter for negotiations.”

Israel, too, has recognized that a compromise on the level of enrichment might be necessary in order to avoid a military strike, the report stated. Cited a Jerusalem Post interview with Ehud Barak, the Times stated that Israel’s defense minister did not mention an end to all enrichment as a condition for ruling out a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.