Powers to offer Iran sanctions relief at nuclear talks: U.S. official

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/25/us-iran-nuclear-us-idUSBRE91O0J120130225

(Reuters) - Major powers will offer Iran some sanctions relief during talks in Almaty, Kazakhstan, this week if Tehran agrees to curb its nuclear program, a U.S. official said on Monday.

However, the Islamic Republic could face more economic pain if the standoff remains unresolved, the official said ahead of the February 26-27 meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"We think ... there will be some additional sanctions relief (in the powers' updated proposal to Iran)," the official said, without giving details.

Western diplomats have told Reuters that the United States, Russia, China, Britain, Germany and France will offer to ease sanctions on trade in gold and precious metals if Iran closes its Fordow underground uranium enrichment plant.

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1. Iran is looking for a credible no-first strike guarantee. We should provide that.

That means putting Israel on notice that an attack on Iran would be dealt with as an attack on the U.S., with the same warning to Iran. Difficult politically to accomplish, and it puts the U.S. into a three-way embrace, just as we are with NATO.

Perhaps a solution is another NATO enlargement with Israel and Iran as new members? Not totally without precedent, given that Turkey and Greece were adversaries, and that NATO now includes Bulgaria and the Czechs, which were very active in Cold War covert operations against western targets.

[MadHound]

2. Why should it?

It is using nuclear power to power its economy. It has done nothing wrong.