Administration Seeks Support for Iran Deal in Contentious Hearing
With only seven weeks left until the September 17th deadline for Congress to vote to approve or reject the Iran deal, it is increasingly looking like a deal will rest on the support of a handful of key Democrats. Last week, in a contentious hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that stretched into a […]
Feinstein Delivers Strong Defense of Diplomacy on Senate Floor
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) added to her credentials as a champion of diplomacy with Iran with a remarkable speech on the floor of the Senate last night. Sen. Feinstein warned that S.1881, a sanctions bill from Sens. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) that has garnered 59 cosponsors, would “collapse negotiations” and be a […]
The House Gets Bad Advice
When it comes to crafting law, Congress seeks input from outside experts to help inform and guide their decisionmaking. The type of experts the body seeks out can say a lot about why Congress does what it does. Last Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee invited some particularly revealing “expert witnesses” that say a lot […]
Blocking Iran talks is rerun of Iraq failure
This past weekend, with news that the U.S. and Iran may be planning direct talks soon to address the nuclear standoff, there were swift reactions by some to try to kill the initiative. Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren warned that Iran should not be “rewarded” with direct talks, and Senator Lindsey Graham–who has pledged the U.S. […]
These Are the Facts
Today marked the release of the first in a series of reports from an impressive group of former US ambassadors, retired generals and policy experts dubbed The Iran Project. The primary purpose of the paper, titled “Weighing Benefits and Costs of Military Action Against Iran”, is to answer the tough questions and ensure that Americans […]
Congressional zero-enrichment demand will “lead to either an Iranian nuclear weapon or a new war”
In an important piece in the LA Times, Daniel Kadishson explains how Congressional demands for “zero enrichment” as the only acceptable diplomatic resolution to the Iranian nuclear impasse is obstructing legitimate chances to ensure Iran does not build a nuclear weapon and to prevent war. “To prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon,” he writes, […]
Iran News Roundup 12/15
Broad Iran sanctions approved by the House The House of Representatives approved central bank sanctions on Iran as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill is expected to pass the Senate and be sent to the President by the end of the week (Newsweek 12/15). The House also approved two standalone Iran […]
Ominous signs for new Congress’ Iran agenda: sanctions, blockade, war
This past Wednesday, the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee convened for a hearing on “Implementing Tougher Sanctions on Iran” and offered a frightening preview of what will be on the House’s agenda next year. At the hearing, Representative Don Manzullo (R-IL) laid out what may be the game plan by the new Republican Congress […]
Israeli Official’s Call for Imminent Iran Blockade is Really a Call for War
Hyperbole reached new heights this week when Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz told the Council of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations on Monday that a blockade will be necessary in two to six months to give “Iran a deadline to change its behavior.” Steinitz, a member of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party and a former protégé […]
The Republican back door to war with Iran
A game plan to draw the United States into a third war in the Middle East may be quietly unfolding before our eyes. Late last week, Republicans in the House or Representatives unveiled H.Res.1553, a resolution providing explicit support for an Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. The measure, introduced by Texas Republican Louie Gohmert and […]
Leverage Through Sanctions Not a Long-Term Strategy
Last week, the U.S took a page out of its well-worn foreign policy playbook and imposed new sanctions on North Korea. The similarities between the U.S approach to North Korea and Iran are striking, centering on a strategy of sanctions, isolation, and containment. It can be argued that the U.S has had more success isolating North […]
Resolution Green-Lighting Israeli Strikes on Iran Introduced by House Republicans
Republicans in the House of Representatives have introduced a measure that would green-light an Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. The resolution, H.Res. 1553, provides explicit support for military strikes against Iran, stating that Congress supports Israel’s use of “all means necessary” against Iran “including the use of military force”. US military leaders have warned that […]