Iran‘s domestic crisis in the aftermath of June’s disputed presidential election has dominated world headlines in recent weeks. But as the dust settles it is the international dimension of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s second term – and especially the future of the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme – that is concentrating minds in the US, Europe and Israel.
The US vice-president, Joe Biden, made the point bluntly last weekend when he repeated Barack Obama’s offer to negotiate with Tehran on the nuclear issue, despite Washington’s condemnation of the post-election crackdown. But when asked about Israel’s position, Biden’s (presumably careful) answer was that the US “cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do”.
Conventional wisdom has it that George Bush made clear in the final months of his presidency that he would not give Israel a “green light” to carry out a repeat of its 1981 attack on Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor.
Biden’s message was no green light either – as his boss clarified very firmly to CNN on Tuesday.
