Israel and Iran Hold “Positive” Nuclear Talks in Brussels

Even though it’s an academic seminar, a mere planning session for a possible UN-sponsored conference, it is noteworthy for the nationality of the participants. A small number of Israelis and Iranians are attending as private citizens, but the topic is non-proliferation and banning nuclear weapons in the Middle East, reports Julian Borger, diplomatic editor for the Guardian. And that’s a good start. “The Israeli team is led by Jeremy Issacharoff, an ambassador for strategic affairs at the foreign ministry; the chief Iranian representative is Ali Asghar Soltanieh, the country's long-serving ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna,” Borger writes. Officials assume that Israel has nuclear weapons and that Iran is pursuing the capability. “In contrast to the ever-worsening sabre-rattling over the Iranian nuclear programme, the mood at the meeting, convened by the EU Non-Proliferation Consortium, was described by one participant as ‘respectful and positive.’” The US continues to urge Israel to at least try negotiations. While the meeting was positive, it’s still unclear if the UN conference will convene in December. – YaleGlobal