December 18, 2014
No need for new sanctions on Iran
As the 113th Congress wraps up and the new Congress prepares for the start of 2015 it is evident that one of the central early debates on foreign policy will revolve around new sanctions on Iran. The sanctions regime imposed by Congress and implemented by the Obama administration played a significant role in bringing Iran to the table and getting an agreement on the interim Joint Plan of Action (JPOA). However, new sanctions now would be poorly timed and reduce the probability of a positive outcome.
First, new sanctions at this moment are likely to lead to less flexibility from the Iranian negotiators. Sanctions are a useful stick to bring a party to the table, but to be used effectively they must be a stick that can be credibly lifted. One of the major challenges in the current negotiations is that the Iranians do not believe that even in the event of a deal the United States Congress will ever lift sanctions. This is particularly true of the ultimate decisionmaker in Tehran –Supreme Leader Ali Khameini – who is a notoriously suspicious of the United States. New sanctions now would only reconfirm his worst suspicions.
Read the full op-ed at The Hill.
More from CNAS
-
Sharper: U.S. Strategy in the Middle East
Commentary
CNAS experts are sharpening the conversation surrounding the future of U.S. strategy in the Middle East....
By Kaleigh Thomas, Chris Estep & Cole Stevens
-
On Iran, the Next Administration Must Break With the Past
Commentary
The United States can address its discord with Iran and calibrate a smart and clear-eyed policy for the Middle East....
By Elisa Catalano Ewers, Ilan Goldenberg & Kaleigh Thomas
-
Toward a More Proliferated World?
Reports
U.S. policy must adapt unless Washington wants to be faced with a more proliferated world in the future....
By Eric Brewer, Ilan Goldenberg, Joseph Rodgers, Maxwell Simon & Kaleigh Thomas
-
Sharper: The Future of U.S. Sanctions Policy
Commentary
Sanctions are increasingly common in U.S. foreign policy and economic statecraft. But they are not a cure-all....
By Kaleigh Thomas, Cole Stevens & Chris Estep
