Russia and China, which claim to oppose the emergence of a nuclear-armed Iran, are now being pressed to support new, tough sanctions to increase the odds it does not happen. But if history is a guide, even strong sanctions may not be enough to persuade Iran’s rulers to negotiate constructively and accept meaningful constraints on their nuclear activities.
而为了防止这个要么与核武伊朗并存，要么袭击伊朗这样的艰难选择最终摆在面前，联合国安理会五大常任理事国和德国都已经寻求展开谈判，试图限制伊朗核计划并将其置于国际监察之下。而声明反对伊朗核武化的俄罗斯和中国也正受到各方压力，迫使其支持新一轮的严厉制裁。但回顾过去，即便是严厉的制裁都未必能令伊朗统治者展开建设性的谈判，并使其在核活动方面接受有现实意义的规则限制。