Humiliatingly, the world’s superpower knocks at Iran’s door rather than vice versa.

America has only one basis for negotiating with Iran: accepting its regional dominance in place of Israel and Egypt. Such dominance must be supported by nuclear weapons—and Obama has reportedly agreed to Iran’s small nuclear arsenal. Regional dominance also means legitimacy for Hezbollah and Hamas, Iran’s long arms. Faced with Hezbollah’s democratic victory in Lebanon and Hamas’s in Gaza, Obama would rather legitimize and talk to them than try to defeat the terrorists.

Secret things are not so secret. Israeli media widely reports on the top-secret visit of the CIA chief to Israel. Panetta delivered Netanyahu a very rude message from Obama warning Israel against a surprise strike on Iran.

The CIA report confirmed our estimates that Iran can neither protect itself from Israeli attack, nor would retaliate substantially.

The May 18 meeting between Netanyahu and Obama would be indecisive. Pressed by the Arabs to bomb Iran and by the Europeans to accept its nuclearization, Obama did not make up his mind yet. He is probably torn between looking tough (bombing) and smart (negotiating).

The reason for the odd Russian decision to extradite Col. Klein to Columbia became clear as the Russians offered to exchange him for Leonid Nevzlin.

Nevzlin, an associate of jailed Russian oligarch Khodorkovsky, is hiding in Israel from Russian prosecution.

The Israeli FM refuses to exchange Nevzlin because he is rich and famous. In a less publicized case, the Israeli Supreme Court agreed to the extradition of Alexander Pertzov to Ukraine despite clear danger to his life.