Again, the major powers involved in negotiations with Iran have differences — French President Jacques Chirac recently said that one or two nuclear weapons in Iran’s hands might not be such a problem, setting off a firestorm of controversy. Though he retracted that statement, it only illustrates the continuing differences even between the Western powers. Differences between the US and Russia and China on Iran, of course, are even more serious, with both Russia and China suggesting a milder approach than Washington. Unfortunately, it might take a crisis to get consensus within the international community about how to deal with Iran.

The writer is associate professor in international politics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi