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The agreement on the transfer of Iran's enriched uranium, achieved via Turkish-Brazilian mediation, is an important victory for Iranian diplomacy and a debacle for Israeli policy. The deal reduces the chances, which were slim to begin with, of new sanctions being imposed on Iran, and makes a military strike against Iran even less feasible.

The full, precise details of the agreement are not known, and the devil is in the details. But the deal's significance is clear: a new atmosphere, at least on the face of it, of dialogue, negotiations and compromise with the ayatollahs' regime in Tehran.

U.S. and French spokesmen did express doubts about the likelihood of the deal being implemented, and they do understand that it enables Iran to continue its nuclear program in line with the timetable it has set for itself. But in the atmosphere that has now been created, the Obama administration will find it even harder to convince Russia and China to support a resolution to impose sanctions on Iran. Moreover, there is no majority for such a move on the Security Council.

It is not clear whether the United States was in the know about the talks between Turkey, Brazil and Iran, though there are some who believe it was undoubtedly involved. But either way, Washington is not upset over the agreement. If he so wishes, U.S. President Barack Obama could use the deal as a springboard for talks with Iran - not only about its nuclear program, but also about the broader strat... >>>