Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)
[T]he State and Treasury Departments announced a new package of sweeping unilateral sanctions targeting multiple entities in Iran, including three banks, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Qods Force, the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, several IRGC-affiliated companies, and eight individuals. Can such sanctions be effective in halting Iran’s nuclear program? If they are used as part of a comprehensive strategy to create diplomatic leverage, absolutely. Absent this leverage, however, policy- makers will eventually be left with the unenviable task of deciding between using military force and tolerating a nuclear Iran.
Targeted economic sanctions represent the strongest nonmilitary means of changing Tehran’s behavior. But policy- makers do not have to choose between sanctions, diplomacy, and military action. By itself, no one tool can fix the problem. Together, though, financial sanctions and international diplomatic censure, backed by various military options (e.g., a strong naval presence in the Persian Gulf), offer the most effective option for dealing with the threat posed by the Iranian nuclear program. …
An effective Iran strategy must include carrots as well as sticks, however. The West should clearly communicate the incentives Iran would enjoy in return for full cooperation, even as it continues to sanction the country. Sanctions do not undermine diplomacy; they create diplomatic leverage. Access the full article>>
