A Way Out of Iran's Nuclear Impasse?

The country's U.N. ambassador is floating a promising idea, reports Walter Isaacson: to turn over ownership of Iran's enrichment plants to an international consortium

Sergei Kaptilkin

The Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran.

Javad Zarif, Iran's polished U.N. ambassador, is noted for being unexpectedly jovial for a person with such a difficult job. But soon after I arrive for a visit to his Manhattan office a few days ago, he turns rather serious and nods at a pad of paper for me to take notes. He wants to go on the record, which is unusual.

When he invited me to see him, I thought it was to say farewell. A law professor turned diplomat, he is not a supporter of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Instead, he has been aligned with the...

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