November 15, 2013

Inflection Point: Requirements for an Enduring Diplomatic Solution to the Iranian Nuclear Challenge

By Colin H. Kahl

In Inflection Point: Requirements for an Enduring Diplomatic Solution to the Iranian Nuclear Challenge, Senior Fellow Dr. Colin Kahl captures his November 13 testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the nuclear negotiations with Iran in Geneva.  He notes that diplomacy with Iran is at a critical juncture and that talks could go either way, either leading to a final settlement or collapsing and increasing the risk of an Iranian bomb, a war, or both.  He outlines the basic contours of the deal under discussion between Iran and the P5+1 nations in the policy brief, demonstrating that it would be a meaningful first step to halt and begin to roll-back the most urgent elements of Iran's program. He also sketches the requirements for a final agreement sufficient to prevent an Iranian nuclear breakout. At this crucial juncture, Dr. Kahl warns that additional sanctions passed by Congress could derail diplomacy, leaving Iran's nuclear program unconstrained and increasing the prospects for a military showdown.

Authors

  • Colin H. Kahl

    Middle East Security

    Dr. Colin H. Kahl is an associate professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and the former National Securi...

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