Summary
The articles “The Lasting Disaster of Trump's Iran Policy” by Thomas L. Friedman and “How We Got the Iran Deal: And Why We'll Miss It” by Wendy R. Sherman do a great job of examining the consequences of the U.S.'s withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal. Since this withdrawal, Iran's expansion of its nuclear capabilities has come into sharp focus. Earlier this year, it was reported that IAEA inspectors had discovered uranium enriched to 84% in Iran, which indicates that it could be close to having bombs. Furthermore, Iran has extended its influence into Iraq and Syria as well as its support for the militant group Hezbollah. Iran’s actions represent a substantial and looming threat to the stability of the Middle East and the global community.
Talks between the U.S. and Iran, aimed at reviving the deal, have largely stalled, and have not led to any compromise. Without a clear U.S. commitment to prioritize and lead these efforts, the status quo will persist, allowing Iran to pursue its objectives without any restrictions. While the U.S. cannot stop Iran entirely in its tracks, it can at least help prevent a militaristic or nuclear catastrophe from happening and limit Iran’s power.
I believe that Iran would be willing to make some concessions especially if it can get support for its struggling economy, which has suffered for a long time with currency depreciation and inflation. Right now reviving the deal does seem impossible, however, there is hope that both countries can ultimately find common ground. Such an outcome has the potential to neutralize an ongoing and escalating threat to our international security.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/20/what-exactly-happened-to-the-iran-nuclear-deal
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-iran-nuclear-deal
One reply on “ Iran Nuclear Deal”
Daniela,
I have read your blog post, but I am limiting my comments this week as I finish reading the class research papers. I was interested in your observation that the Iranians would be willing to make concessions to help improve their seriously troubled economy. Sadly, due to the Hamas attack on Israel, any possibility of a deal are likely to be in the deep freeze for quite a while. –Professor Wallerstein