Iran continues talking nice as it moves ever more toward its goal of throwing off international sanctions while keeping its nuclear program alive and well. This week Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif claimed that Iran is “100% committed to reaching a comprehensive final agreement” over its nuclear program. We can easily imagine they are committed, but not to a deal satisfactory to anyone except themselves. Iran’s desired “final agreement” would enshrine uranium enrichment capability, leave the Arak heavy water reactor intact, leave Iran in possession of every gram of its enriched uranium inventory, and leave all 19,000 centrifuges in place. In short, it would leave Iran capable of developing nuclear weapons, with the only obstacles being technical and political. That’s exactly where they are now after the temporary agreement reached last month.

As expected, an Iran now free of some sanctions has been actively courting major oil companies around the globe to invest in its petroleum industry, including British Petroleum, Dutch Shell, France’s Total – even U.S. firms Exxon and ConocoPhillips. Iran has perhaps a year to get these industry giants involved in lucrative deals in order to increase economic leverage in resistance to future sanctions. European support will be critical for any sanctions. Would they be more or less likely to support future sanctions if it meant their economies would forfeit multi-billion dollar deals, along with their citizens paying higher prices at the gas pump? It’s a shrewd move by the Iranians, and it will almost certainly pay dividends – for them.