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Congress: don’t tamper with the Iran deal, build on it

By Alon Ben-Meir - posted Monday, 23 October 2017


Any modification to the deal should first be attempted through diplomatic channels. That is, if the purpose is to prevent Iran from pursuing a weaponized nuclear program once the current deal expires, then why not engage Iran now in quiet diplomacy (notwithstanding its vocal public opposition) and gauge where it really stands and what sort of quid pro quo Tehran would seek to modify the agreement.

To be sure, in the search for a solution to the conflict with Tehran, the US must seek areas where there is mutuality of interests that serve both sides well. The raging conflicts in the Middle East provide opportunities to work with Iran to bring an end to the civil war in Syria, to mitigate the conflict in Yemen, and even cooperate on addressing violent extremism and radicalization. Yes, Iran does seek regional hegemony, but as long as it is treated with respect and feels assured that the US is not seeking regime change now or at any time in the future, it would tamper its ambitions.

Trump's thoughtless and damaging campaign promise to tear up the Iran deal on his first day in office did nothing but embarrass the US, rather than demonstrate what he foolishly keeps repeating - that the deal itself was the worst deal the US has ever made.

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If Republican Senators and House members have any spine left, they should stop behaving like a cult that blindly follows a blind leader and pass a bill that would prevent Trump from terminating the deal, similar to the one they passed that usurped from Trump the power to lift the sanctions on Russia by executive order.

Congress may be able to modify the deal, but losing the support of our allies – who are determined to keep the deal in place and refuse to reimpose the sanctions on Iran – would be the greatest embarrassment to what's left of America's leadership.

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About the Author

Dr. Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of international relations at the Center for Global Affairs at NYU. He teaches courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies.

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