Iran plays footsie and wins

KHALED DESOUKI/AFP

After a week of deadlock, the standoff at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty meeting was resolved Tuesday … by a footnote. Iran had balked at a phrase in the agenda stressing the “need for full compliance with” the NPT treaty. Just as it seemed likely that the conference would effectively end if nothing happened by Tuesday morning, Iran acceded to a compromise submitted by South Africa. The magic solution? A simple footnote making explicit that the contested phrase refers to all aspects of the treaty, including those that require major nuclear powers like the United States to disarm. 

Silly as it sounds, this was actually a rather clever solution. Iran got the clarification it desired, while others avoided setting a precedent for changing an agenda text and saved the conference from being a complete waste of time. Now, the agenda can move forward on disarmament, setting up a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East, and compliance with NPT safeguards.

Even if the agenda antics were initially the product of confusion in Tehran, Iran appears to have recovered its usual diplomatic finesse. The country was certainly tarred as obstructionist, but it also benefited in at least two important ways. Leaving just two days for the conferees to deal with substantive issues, Iran has minimized the amount of time available for criticism of its own nuclear program. And by waiting for non-aligned South Africa to introduce a compromise, Iran placated its own supporters and avoided bowing to pressure from the West and its allies. This conference was not a resounding victory for Iran, but it does have successes to celebrate.