This guy a perfect example of why diplomacy founded on idealist yearning is hollow and unsustainable - Iran wants the bomb, pure and simple, it's central to their aspirations, and therefore there's only three things that are gonna happen here 1 regime change which possibly, but only possibly, modifies to our benefit the nature of their aspirations 2 they get the bomb 3 we stop them by whatever means from getting the bomb. There's nothing to be negotiated here - all there is is long term strategic calculation or submission.
It's as if Elizabeth had tried to send Walsingham to negotiate directly with Philip to put an end to that whole Armada thing - I'm sure ol' Francis would have recognized the futile idiocy of such a venture and instructed a few of his henchmen to put knives to royal bodice - there was nothing to be negotiated, Philip wanted what he wanted - you either renounce your heresy and become a vassal of Spain or you make ready your defenses.
Are we gonna fret over some academic who likes Persian poetry feeling all sad about how foolish people can be - or are we gonna defend ourselves?
