ESPECIALLY Iran has to keep face.
It’s a strong-arm culture.
That regime stays in power through force. Weakness is rewarded with a coup, popular uprising or protests, etc.
In that part of the world, the best you get is a “benevolent” ruler as in Jordan.
Iran will say ridiculous things and ruffle their feathers, a lot. This is not for our consumption, but to maintain appearances for their own.
Our MSM will perpetuate what they hear because they are all about sensationalism, contradicting Trump, etc.
Compromise is necessary if you want peace. You are right, compromise does not equate to surrender. There are things we can offer to Iran to sweeten the deal, may it be offering them non-weapons grade Uranium, in the conflict with Israel, frozen and seized assets, etc.
The point is, we achieve our national security interests. And if Iran achieves some of their interests, GREAT! It’s not just about denying the opponent any sort of win, that would create a lose-lose situation. It’s about achieving our goals at the minimum cost for us AND them and that means you want them to have a win also!
If you create a situation where Iran has nothing to gain, there is no chance of any sort of win for them, where do you think negotiations will lead?
“offering them non-weapons grade Uranium”
It is my understanding that plutonium can be produced in reactors and that is how North Korea made its bombs.
Sunny Iran can use solar panels, which would be more economic than nuclear power plants for them. I read that about 25% of Pakistani households have solar panels.
“If you create a situation where Iran has nothing to gain, there is no chance of any sort of win for them, where do you think negotiations will lead?”
“offering them...frozen and seized assets”
$15 million per kilogram of U-235 in highly enriched uranium per year turned over (440kg of 60% - $3.96 billion/year)
per top model centrifuge turned over within 30 days
$10 million first 500
$5 million all others
per previous top model
one-fifth the amounts
$50 million/quarter if no attacks from Lebanon
$20 million/quarter if no attacks from Gaza
$100 million/quarter if Israel is not attacked
Saying "ridiculous things" appease the radical elements in their own countries also builds support/expectation for those radical elements to kill Americans. It's not like they have just paid lip service to radical ideals and anti-west hatred but then left the rest of the world alone. They actually follow through.
If you create a situation where Iran has nothing to gain, there is no chance of any sort of win for them, where do you think negotiations will lead?
The one thing they gain is the cessation of attacks. In terms of "positive" incentives, we apparently have offered to release funds of theirs that have been frozen, but they refuse to give us the three things we rightfully demand 1) no nuke program, 2) stop funding terrorism, 3) free passage through the Straits of Hormuz.