While Europe tactfully begins patting itself on the back over announcements Monday that the US may be re-thinking its stance on offering economic incentives to Iran to stop pursuing nuclear weapons, German commentators urge caution on Tuesday. The motivation for the potential policy change is far from clear, and may be little more than the US taking advantage of the current situation for its own ends.

The German business daily Handelsblatt argues that the US probably isn't going along with Europe merely because of Bush's recent visit to Brussels. "It may be too early to be able to interpret Washington's noises about economic concessions to Iran as a new strategy. But a modified tactic is by all means discernable." And that new tactic may have more to do with US strategic interests than it does the trans-Atlantic relationship. "This should not already be euphorically assessed as the first success of the Brussels Summit, even if both sides dedicated themselves to trans-Atlantic unity. The pragmatists in the US administration have more likely realized that there is little to recommend using martial gestures in Iran these days." If there is any doubt that the US is not necessarily interested in controlling atomic proliferation per se, one need look no further than Pakistan, a country that has "not only 'successfully' tested a bomb, but has a booming and successful trade in the necessary technology." And yet there is no hint of sanctions against Pakistan. "At the moment, as US strategists value the country as a useful factor in the war against terror, they're closing their eyes."

The center-left Sueddeutsche Zeitung writes that Bush, for once, is giving the European Union a chance to prove itself with Iran. "With that, the undetaking had its first shot at success. Tehran had always been clear: A deal with Brussels would be nice, but almost worthless without Washington's blessing." The Europeans can guess all they want about Bush's current motivation for going along with their plans, the paper writes. But whatever his reasons, the EU finally has enough on its side to deal with the mullahs. Washington, thought, has made it clear that its patience won't last forever and the hopes for a satisfactory conclusion to the crisis remain dim. "This is because neither of the two main premises have changed. Firstly: the mullahs want the bomb, if not now, then later. Secondly: the Americans want regime change in Tehran. If not today, then tomorrow."

"Will deeds now follow the friendly words from Mainz and Brussels?" asks the conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Certainly, the news that Bush is ready to play along "will be taken up in Europe with great satisfaction." But not so fast, the paper says. Iran is still a long way from cutting down their atomic hopes, and the fact "that Russia has even promised to deliver more nuclear fuel may even strengthen their persistence" and weaken the West's case. "Seen in this way, Bush's new readiness is little more than a late gift to his hosts from last week's European trip. Which actions Washington is actually prepared to see through will be clear if the talks with Iran break down."

The conservative daily paper Die Welt carries a column on Iran from Jeffrey Gedmin of the conservative Aspen Institute Berlin. After a weekend listening to experts talk in Berlin about Iran's nuclear program, he writes that the world is indeed headed for a crisis in the region, "but it could be over something different than the expected problem." Experts say that Iran is one to four years from their goal, and in the meantime have made a tactical strike impossible by hiding or burying the targets. All in all, things don't look good. If Iran got the bomb, that's where the new problem comes in: "The real trans-Atlantic argument could break out over how one deals with a nuclear Iran. How will we stop an arms race in the region?" Once Iran has nuclear weapons, it will be that much harder to prevent other Middle-Eastern countries from following suit. "Maybe it's too late. But why is it so hard for us to raise the diplomatic price?" The world needs to find a way to make nuclear armament cost Iran too much to make it worthwhile.

The day's other big topic in German papers on Tuesday: new unemployment figures. Hands are being collectively thrown into the air as Germany slides ever-deeper into unemployment, with the jobless number rising to 5.2 million in February.

The Sueddeutsche writes that "never in the history of the country have so many people been without a job." Responsibility for the crisis goes way back, and crosses political lines, the paper writes. Now, though, "the coalition -- election 2006 notwithstanding -- damned well has the duty to do something to prevent worse from happening." Recent economic reforms was a good step in the right direction, but only a step and more needs to be done. "Above all, the conditions to create more jobs much be reached." And it must happen now: "The chancellor's foremost task should be announcing and encouraging such a program -- without considering whether it will win him votes or not."

The Frankfurter Allgemeine takes Labor Minister Wolfgang Clement to task for his overly optimistic and simplistic view of the problem. "The latest prognoses of the economic minister are closer to the forecasts of a pop song with the lyrics 'sunshine follows rain...' A weatherman would be a laughing-stock if he said the same thing." Clement, the paper writes, is holding on to his enormous self-confidence, but little else. "No less vague than his predictions are the things he places his hopes on. 'In my view,' he says, there will be a company tax reform passed during this legislative period." But it isn't about Clement's views, but those of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Finance Minister Hans Eichel, which means it won't happen any time before 2007. "No wonder that the Super-optimism Minister, while hoping to kick-start consumer confidence, frowns with greater concern every day."