Dealing with Iran: Six world powers agree to carrot-and-stick approach

According to the Post, "[t]he United States and five other major world powers agreed [today] to offer Iran a broad new collection of rewards if it halts its drive to master nuclear technology". Said British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett: "There are two paths ahead. We urge Iran to take the positive path and to consider seriously our substantive proposals, which would bring significant benefits."

BUT: Let's not get too excited. This carrot-and-stick approach -- which is well worth trying, don't get me wrong -- is also an ultimatum. Iran must stop its uranium enrichment program or else. Will it? "Iranian diplomats... did not reject outright the U.S. proposal for talks, but they criticized the demand that their country end enrichment first."

I hope this works. At the very least, it's a start, and perhaps we should just take it as such. Russia and China have signed on, at least for the time being, and perhaps some deal can eventually be worked out with Iran. Besides, it's not like a military response to the problem is desirable (see here and here), and, as I've argued here before, it is time to talk seriously with Tehran (see here and here).

We'll see.