What’s Iran Doing in Iraq?
Chaos often breeds opportunity, and nowhere is this more apparent than in today’s Iraq. Less apparent, however, is how key actors are approaching the opportunity. Iran is a prime example. Recent headlines have run the gamut: “Iran is putting boots on the ground!” “Iran is sending drones!” “Will Iran and America collaborate?!” While it is […]
America and Iran Face the Future – in Iraq
The United States’ 2003 invasion of Iraq was the strategic mistake of a generation, with a long tail of consequence. It shook the foundation of the status quo in the Middle East and forced everyone, including the U.S. and Iran, to re-evaluate their respective positions. Today’s crisis in Iraq involving the Arab Sunni extremist group […]
Should U.S. work with Iran in Iraq? Yes, if it wants to take on the real challenge: China
To work with Iran or not to work with Iran? That’s the question dogging Washington as Iraq descends into chaos, reminding America that its mission there was never truly accomplished.
Pivot to Persia
On New Year’s Eve 1977, President Jimmy Carter famously toasted the Shah at the Saadabad Palace in Tehran and declared, “Iran … is an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world.” Less than two years later, Iran was in chaos as the revolution swept the country and brought down the […]
A Few Thoughts on Possible U.S.-Iran Collaboration in Iraq
As Washington gets further dragged back into the mess in Iraq, opening up a new chapter of collaboration with Iran to defeat the Sunni Jihadists has once again become a political sticking point in Washington. Here are a few quick thoughts on the matter: The fact that Iran has signaled openness to US strikes in […]
Will Sanctions Hawks Kill an Iran Nuclear Deal?
Now that we are nearing the July 20 deadline for P5+1 and Iran nuclear talks, it is important that we have a sober understanding of the difficulties the White House will have tailoring sanctions relief so as to secure and sustain a lasting nuclear agreement.
Legal Loggerheads: Long Road Ahead to Lifting Sanctions
We’ll soon find out whether the decade-old nuclear dispute with Iran can be resolved diplomatically, as the parties return to Vienna next month to hammer out a comprehensive agreement. So far, negotiations have been deftly handled by both US and Iranian negotiators – the positive atmosphere, so critical to staving off domestic opposition, having been maintained […]
No, Sanctions Didn’t Force Iran to Make a Deal
Reaching out to Tehran, not smashing its economy, is what made the nuke deal possible — and it could have happened much earlier.
Why Is Bank of America Closing Iranian Students’ Accounts?
Across the country, many Iranian students are having their financial lifeline severed, often with little or no warning, by one of the largest banks in the United States: Bank of America. Students across the world grow up dreaming of the opportunity to study at the best universities the United States has to offer, either to […]
How To Strike A Win-Win Deal With Iran
The United States and its allies are now preparing for the home stretch in their nuclear negotiations with Iran. And, as they approach the finish line, it will be critical for insightful voices to help the Obama administration parse through difficult issues that remain on the negotiating table. The United States and its allies are […]
Former Israeli Nuclear Head: No Iran Bomb for Ten Years – If They Even Want It
The former head of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission Brigadier General (res.) Uzi Eilam just dropped a bombshell (no pun intended): “The Iranian nuclear program will only be operational in another 10 years,” he told the Israeli paper Yediot Ahronoth. “Even so, I am not sure that Iran wants the bomb.”
On Iran, Give Obama Some Credit
President Obama has handled diplomacy well since Hassan Rouhani won Iran’s June 2013 presidential election. If anything, Obama has not received enough credit for being thoughtful, measured, and willing to become progressively bolder on the diplomatic front in line with events transpiring in Iran. With the third round of nuclear negotiations in Vienna now in […]