Outnumbered six to one, Iran deftly maneuvered this weekend (April 13-14) to restart negotiations that could yield formal recognition of its uranium enrichment program, and postponement of more crushing economic sanctions or a military attack.
The results of the meeting in Istanbul between Iran and the so-called P5+1—which both sides called “positive”—was a clear example of how Iran uses asymmetric diplomacy to surprise and unsettle much more powerful opponents. Somewhat like North Korea—which has a black belt in so-called “judo diplomacy”—Iran has learned to keep its adversaries guessing in order to shape the psychological environment to its advantage.