Attacks deepen Iran nuclear puzzle

17.02.2012

Attacks on Israeli diplomats, new nuclear grandstanding and a glimmer of fresh hope for diplomacy are taking Iran's feud with its Western foes to an unpredictable and possibly more dangerous phase.
A chaotic flurry of events has experts asking whether a tightening sanctions choke hold is beginning to spark volatile behavior by Iran and a desire to show that any Israeli strikes on its nuclear sites will draw a bloody riposte.
Israel has this week accused Tehran of deploying assassination squads which botched attacks on its diplomats in Thailand, Georgia and India. Iran, seeking to spook the markets, threatened to cut oil exports to six EU nations.
But deepening the intrigue, Iran has also signaled it was ready to return to nuclear talks with world powers, even as it warned it had produced its first 20-percent enriched uranium and installed another 3,000 nuclear centrifuges.