Iran: Tehran's Immediate Response to the G8 Summit

After the warning of the G8 Summit to Tehran, Iran response came quickly. On Saturday, Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran's foreign minister, said that they had not received "a new message" and would propose a package "containing Iran's stances on political, security and international issues." Mottaki said: "We have not received any new message from the G8. But based on the news we have received, they had different views on different issues which did not lead to a unanimous agreement in some areas."

Mottaki is correct, in the sense that, except from a September deadline for negotiations, there were nothing new in the G8 declaration. However, despite Mottaki's declaration, "The package can be a good basis for talks with the West," there was nothing new in Iran's response, either. According to Al-Jazeera, it will not be beyond a new version of a May 2008 list of discussion points stating "the creation of an international consortium" to enrich uranium on its own soil as a way of defusing the tense standoff over its nuclear programme.

Britain's Foreign Office and the White House have avoided giving immediate responses so far. Instead, the "5+1" (the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany) await Tehran's next step.

Syria's Assad: Halt Israeli Settlements in the West Bank

On Tuesday, Syrian President Bashar Assad hosted German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Damascus. After the meeting, Assad put another condition on peace negotiations with Israel: halting activity in the West Bank settlements.

Calling for an halt to settlement activity before peace negotiations is not as big an obstacle for a regional settlement as it might seem. This move has two dimensions. First, Syria wants to link its security with the perception of concern for the Palestinians. This would not only increase its influence in the region but also move closer to Barack Obama’s rhetoric on Israel. Second, this is not just pressure upon Tel Aviv but also upon Washington. Syria wants to see tangible steps from the Obama Administration on both the Palestinian and Syrian fronts.

This two-way message is being laid out to maintain a balance between Iran and the US. Meanwhile, the chief target of the Syrian manoeuvre is clear: Assad said that there was no real partner in Israel to make peace.