Engaging Iran is best course

Pittsburgh Post Gazette: The decision last week of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany and negotiating partner Iran to extend the Nov. 24 negotiations deadline was preferable to letting them expire. The talks can now continue until June 30.

At the same time, putting off a decision was second-best to reaching a final agreement on the subject. The risk now is that prolonging the negotiations will turn into a more permanent postponement of the conclusion of an accord.

All parties at the table have something to gain from an agreement. On the United Nations side, which is acting, in effect, for the whole world, there is the strict monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency of Iran’s nuclear program, including present and future capacity to build nuclear weapons. Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; the only countries believed to have nuclear weapons that have not signed it are India, Israel and Pakistan.

Economic sanctions

The U.S. also should gain from the eventual removal of economic sanctions against Iran as American companies and financial institutions will be able to resume what was a profitable economic and commercial relationship with Iran before the ayatollahs took power in 1979.