Lean manufacturing requires partners to share information knowing that it will not be leaked to a competitor, or used to strike a new bargain.

ECONOMIST: Firms and their suppliers

Their task, Mr Annan stressed, was not to strike a new bargain with Mr Hussein but to get him to rescind his ban on American nationals in Unscom.

ECONOMIST: Saddam defies the UN, again

However, it is by no means clear if this is a desire to warn Iran diplomatically or a manoeuvre intended to strike the hardest bargain once the Iranian oil sector is under pressure.

BBC: What will be the impact of the EU ban on Iranian oil?

And if Russia plays ball it will strike a hard bargain - perhaps securing an interest in Cyprus's offshore gas industry, yet to be developed.

BBC: Cyprus bank crisis: Mounting EU pressure