The Iranian Negotiating Tactic the Trump Administration Doesn’t Get

[T]he Islamic Republic has entered talks with the Trump administration not because of external pressure but in order to preserve the essential features of its expanding nuclear infrastructure — and they feel confident they can achieve this if the talks proceed. Along the way, the clerical regime might agree to dilute its stock of 60 percent-enriched uranium, which is near weapons-grade, or even cap enrichment at a lower level. It would be a flashy concession that won’t fundamentally affect the complexion or the trajectory of Tehran’s nuclear program. The mullahs know that what matters most are protecting its new generation of centrifuges. With much greater efficiency and speed, these machines can enrich uranium to bomb-grade and can be housed in small facilities that are harder to detect.