via Lobe Log

Reuters reports that Western powers are examining “long-shot options” for the next possible round of talks with Iran:

One option could be for each side to put more on the table – both in terms of demands and possible rewards – than in previous meetings in a bid to break the stalemate despite deep skepticism about the chances of a breakthrough any time soon.

Years of diplomacy and sanctions have failed to resolve a dispute between the West and Iran over its nuclear program, raising fears of Israeli military action against its arch foe and a new Middle East war damaging to a fragile world economy.

“The next meeting would have to be well prepared,” said one Western diplomat. “There could be interesting new developments, like more demands and more concessions.”

Of course, as Farideh noted this week, inflexibility on both sides will impede a peaceful resolution to the decades-long dispute:

The reality is that the current sanctions regime does not constitute a stable situation. First, the instability (and instability is different from regime change as we are sadly learning in Syria) it might beget is a constant force for policy re-evaluation on all sides (other members of the P5+1 included). Second, maintaining sanctions require vigilance while egging on the sanctioned regime to become more risk-taking in trying to get around them. This is a formula for war and it will happen if a real effort at compromise is not made. Inflexibility will beget inflexibility.