IS MERKEL BUDGING – AT 10:18 A.M. ET:  It sure looks that way.  From Reuters: 

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday the Iran nuclear deal should not be questioned but that there should be talks about a broader agreement that goes beyond the original accord.

Merkel also said she took note with regret and concern of President Donald Trump's decision to pull the United States out of the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear accord, which lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program.

COMMENT:  In these diplomatic matters you always look for the one line that makes the difference.  During the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy picked one optimistic line out of a long, hostile statement by Nikita Khrushchev, and used it as the basis for a peaceful conclusion.

What Merkel said is important.  She has been the toughest of the European leaders in backing the original Iran nuclear agreement.  But here she is saying there should be talks about a broader agreement that goes beyond the original.  That is exactly what Trump is saying, and maybe we're seeing the finding of common ground.

May 9, 2018