The International Crisis Group (ICG) believes that negotiations are the only solution to the Iranian nuclear program. The groups latest report notes the risk of war, unless the West sticks to a diplomatic solution.
Turkey cannot resolve the 13-year long crisis of trust between Iran and the US, Hue Pope, Director of the group’s crisis project for Turkey and Cyprus, says.
ICG experts emphasize that Israel, US and Iran hesitate between threats and plans to use weapons. Sanctions against Tehran would only provoke Iran to attack. A war may break out, hitting Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel. Dragging of the Iranian nuclear program is compensated with expulsion of IAEA inspectors and strives for own nuclear weapons.
Turkey has had long ties with Iranian officials and believes that Tehran’s uranium enrichment on own territory should be a concession.
Negotiations would be given an impulse if the deal on nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor would be renewed and Iran would abandon uranium enrichment to 20%. In exchange, the US and EU may freeze their sanctions and gradually abandon them.
Fobert Melly, Director of the program of the ICG for the Middle East and Northern Africa, believes that there should be no choice between sanctions with unclear prospects and a military confrontation.
