“Iran wants to gain as much negotiating time as possible”

Iran says it will not bargain over its right to peaceful nuclear power, though it is ready to answer any questions on its nuclear programme to the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany in October.

Prof. Walid Phares, a fellow from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, says the Iranian leadership understands very well that the Obama administration is not going to engage in any significant sanctions, let alone action, before it exhausts every diplomatic venue, and thus the Iranian strategy is to take advantage of this as much as possible – so President Ahmadinejad will come to New York, most likely deliver a speech and go on to the negotiations in October.

“The Iranian leadership has in mind to tell the international community that it is ready to discuss disarmament in the region and not the disarmament of Iran,” Walid Phares believes.

He adds that Iran would gain time if they have another programme moving forward and the strategy is to build missile capability – which is something that the international community cannot do much about.