Italy Wants In on Iran Nuke Talks

The already sluggish diplomacy surrounding Iran's nuclear program could get even trickier shortly. Right now, the United States is part of a six-nation group—which includes China, Russia, Britain, France, and Germany—developing international sanctions and incentives for Iran. It turns out, though, that Iran's top trading partner in Europe is actually Italy—and it wants in on negotiations. American officials support the move, but France and Germany are opposed, says an Italian official. And that could present a problem, since Italy has a lot of business to lose through strong sanctions—and more leverage with Iran than some others. "Italy," the official says, "wants to be included."