US May Drop Nuclear Condition for Iran Talks

The Obama administration is considering dropping the long-standing US insistence that Iran shut down its nuclear facilities before talks begin, insiders tell the New York Times. The proposal—which represents a major policy shift—would allow Iran to continue enriching uranium for a period during talks, possibly in return for allowing inspectors expanded access.

The proposal is aimed at drawing Iran into talks it has so far shunned. Insisting Iran shut down all its facilities before talks on its nuclear program begin is "simply not going to work—experience tells us the Iranians are not going to buy it,” said a senior European official involved in strategy talks. “So we are going to start with some interim steps, to build a little trust."
(More Iran stories.)