Immediately after news of a framework nuclear deal between Iran and the P+5 countries, which includes the United States, China and Russia among other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, analysts and columnists took to their keyboards (and broadcasting outlets) to compose their thoughts.

Deal or No Deal, the Iran Talks Have Borne Fruit

David Ignatius – The Washington Post

This process of engagement is a significant achievement of the Obama administration, even if the nuclear accord unravels. Iran is now a diplomatic and political factor in regional and world politics, for better or worse. The right U.S. strategy was to prevent this rising Iran from getting nuclear weapons, not to pretend that it didn’t exist … Outreach to Iran was only half the problem.

So Obama crafted sticks, as well as carrots. After U.S. intelligence discovered a secret Iranian nuclear-enrichment facility dug into a mountain near Qom, Obama used the revelation to build a strong international coalition, including China and Russia, for sanctions and eventual negotiations. And within days after taking office, he authorized a covert program of cyberattacks against Iran’s enrichment facilities, using what became known as the “Stuxnet” virus.

Reaction was sharply divided across American media: by and large, editorial boards, columnists and scholars either praised the framework as containing far more specifics than expected or expressed deep concern over Iran’s true intentions.

Nuke-Deal-Rope-a-Dope

The Editorial Board of the New York Post

The latest “firm” deadline to reach a preliminary nuclear deal with Iran slipped by Tuesday, extending the six-party talks to . . . April Fool’s Day. Finally, something about these negotiations makes sense. Really, the mullahs down in Tehran must be rolling in the aisles as they place fresh bets in the pool over how long they can keep this game of rope-a-dope going.

The first “hard” deadline for these talks was a year ago. The second, last November. Even before Tuesday’s punt, talk was that it would be at least another month before any accord was even initialed … The bottom line that Iran must accept rigorous outside inspections of anything and everything, and come clean on its violations of past agreements — sayonara. Iran’s reported concessions to date: It’s willing to keep negotiating.