Final solutions are still far away, but new signals are sounding positively. They referred to the US's consideration to propose the UN to lift some sanctions against North Korea in exchange for North Korea's commitments to halt its attempts to produce nuclear weapons and to destroy its most important nuclear research site Yongbyon. They also referred to the moves by Iran to avert military clashes and even wars with the US.
The US plans to partially lift sanctions against North Korea
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Both sides are taking care about keeping chances and possibilities to scale down their confrontation. It is not the results themselves which are of decisive significance but the fact that all parties concerned seemed to slant to the shared understanding that something must be done and new approaches should be taken if they really want to clear the present deadlocks. The more they favor this direction, the less likely the conflict escalates further.
Of cause, it is now not easy for one side to accept the proposals or talk offers from the other. North Korea demanded the removal of all sanctions imposed on this country by the UN, the US and other states listed in 5 resolutions of the UN Security Council from 2016 to 2017 in exchange for its concessions. The proposals the US is now contemplating to make to the UN is only one part and not the whole. Therefore, nobody can be sure that North Korea will accept them.
The readiness of Iran and the US and their will to hold talks with each other are all tied to some conditions which none of them can at present agree with. The one side knows very well the reactions of the other. Therefore, it isn’t the proposed talks that count but rather their message that direct talks between them are always possible.
All that gives rise to the hope, possibly even the conviction, that armed confrontations between the US and Iran would be avoidable and peace talks between the US and North Korea would be soon advancing again.
