In an article in Asia Times, Pepe Escobar explains that we arrived at the current impasse with Iran due to American refusal to negotiate fairly over inspections and sanctions.

Asia Times article:

What followed was an aggressive campaign to demonize Iran, to initiate sanctions which hurt the Iranian economy. Western media continues to beat the drums for war against Iran. Little press attention has been given to American, European, and Israeli intransigence and refusal to engage in diplomacy and fair negotiations.

This is a direct quote from Mr. Escobar’s article:

“According to Mousavian, “during the visit, Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, offered a blank check to the IAEA, granting full transparency, openness to inspections, and cooperation with the IAEA. He also informed Nackaerts of Iran’s receptiveness to putting the country’s nuclear program under ‘full IAEA supervision’, including implementing the Additional Protocol [of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] for five years, provided that sanctions against Iran were lifted.”