Thinking Ahead on Iran

Brian Katulis, senior fellow, and Peter Juul, research associate, Center for American Progress
May 25, 2010
"Congress should give President Obama maximum flexibility in implementing any additional sanctions so as to better coordinate with international allies and partners. Only with such flexibility can American diplomacy properly calibrate our actions to bring about the shared legislative and executive goal of a non-nuclear-armed Iran."

News that the Obama administration reached agreement with key UN Security Council countries including Russia and China to impose a new set of international sanctions against Iran marks a new phase in the U.S.-led effort to deal with international concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. …

Congress should give the Obama administration as much leeway as it can on implementation as it continues its deliberations on sanctions legislation. Despite wild criticism from the usual suspects, President Obama’s dual-track strategy of engaging and isolating Tehran has been successful so far. It has given the United States the moral high ground in its dealings with a brutal regime that flouts its international obligations. The combination of pressure and engagement has forced the Iranian regime to seek an out via a revival of the nuclear fuel swap with Brazil and Turkey. It remains unclear how this new gambit by Tehran will play out, but it is a direct result of the Obama administration’s sanctions drive. Access the full article>>



Subscribe to Middle East Progress Alerts

Support Middle East Progress

In-Depth Coverage

Original Commentaries

Setting the Record Straight

Determined to Reach a Common Objective

“We knew at the outset that the task would be difficult. We acknowledged that publicly and privately. We knew this would be a road with many bumps— and there have been many bumps—and that continues to this day. But we are not deterred. We are, to the contrary, determined more than ever to proceed to realize the common objective, which we all share, of a Middle East that is at peace with security and prosperity for the people of Israel, for Palestinians, and for all the people in the region. We will continue our efforts in that regard, undeterred and undaunted by the difficulties, the complexities or the bumps in the road.”—George Mitchell, special envoy for Middle East peace, remarks with Prime Minister Netanyahu, September 29, 2010

Middle East Analysis

Upcoming Events

The U.S. Agency for International Development and Conflict: Hard Lessons from the Field

May 17, 2011, 12:00pm – 1:15pm

From Afghanistan and Iraq to Pakistan, Somalia, and South Sudan, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, is engaged daily in trying to help some of the most troubled nations on the planet make a lasting transition to stability, open markets, and democracy. Few areas of the agency’s work are more challenging or more controversial.

Join us for remarks by, and a roundtable with, the deputy administrator of USAID, Ambassador

more