Talks begin tomorrow between the P5 + 1 (the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Germany) and Iran. Today, the P5+1 group is having a prep meeting. Talks with Iran are destined to fail, not because I want them to, but because every piece is in place for failure:

The imprisonment of Mahmoud Salehi marks acceleration in the Iranian government's fight against independent labor.

Several events in recent days indicate deepening ties between Iran and Russia. To this end, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov announced last month in Washington, D.C., Moscow's "step-by-step" proposal for restarting negotiations with Iran.

Sanctions against Iran are proving effective at weakening the regime, and there is no reason to relieve the pressure right now by rushing out to engage the regime.

The Obama administration is attempting to affect the Iranian regime's behavior through sanctions, but Iranian officials' responses to the recent U.S. Nuclear Posture Review suggest they will not change their behavior.

How has the president managed to build such a formidable power base? Who are the key members of his coterie, and will they enable their benefactor to outsmart the supreme leader to become Iran's effective ruler?

Solidarity with Iranians.