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Iran-U.S. Hostilities Must Stop

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President Obama’s policy of engagement with Iran has failed. Recent steps have led to unprecedented hostilities between the two countries with Washington conducting a full-scale economic, covert, cyber and political war with Iran. Yet these measures have not quenched the thirst of the electorate, as both presidential candidates continue the trend of past election campaigns by competing to see who can deliver a more hostile posture toward Iran.

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“Iran-U.S. Hostilities Must Stop”, National Interest, September 20, 2012.

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Twenty Reasons not to Attack Iran

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Recent news stories have detailed disagreements between Israeli and U.S. assessments of Iran’s nuclear capabilities and intentions. While it would appear that for now the United States does not share the apparent Israeli desire for military action toward Iran, President Obama has done everything possible to prevent the Iranians from having the ability to produce a nuclear weapon at will.

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“Twenty Reasons not to Attack Iran,” Reuters, August 23, 2012.

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Eight Reasons Why [Kenneth] Waltz Theory On Nuclear Iran Is Wrong

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In a recent influential article in Foreign Affairs, Kenneth Waltz has challenged the conventional wisdom on Iran’s nuclear program and asserted that Iran “should get the bomb.” Written by one of America’s most influential international-relations theorists, Waltz’s article makes a strong case for Iranian nuclear proliferation. He argues that this would bring more stability to the Middle East by ending Israel’s destabilizing nuclear monopoly and introducing a much-needed nuclear balance in the turbulent region.

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“Eight Reasons Why [Kenneth] Waltz Theory On Nuclear Iran Is Wrong,” co-written with Kaveh Afrasiabi, Al Monitor, July 16, 2012.

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The Iranian Nuclear Dispute: Origins and Current Options

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After a pause of more than a year, the seven countries that are holding talks on Iran’s nuclear program resumed their discussions in April, with subsequent meetings in May and June. As the countries—Iran and the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States)—prepare for their next meetings, efforts to find pathways to a resolution need to take into account the origins of Iran’s nuclear program and the sources of the ongoing dispute over it.

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“The Iranian Nuclear Dispute: Origins and Current Options,” Arms Control Today, July/August 2012.

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How to Stop the Lose-Lose Game

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Although the nuclear talks in Moscow did not achieve concrete results, there is still time to get past the nuclear impasse. The Obama administration clearly isn’t interested in offering the Islamic Republic the kind of concessions that would allow it to back down. The key questions now are: Will President Obama, if reelected in November, be more flexible? And will Iran muster confidence that Obama can get U.S. political support for any agreement?

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“How to Stop the Lose-Lose Game,” co-written with Ali Shabani, National Interest, June 26, 2012.

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US Should Ease Sanctions, Recognize Iran Enrichment Rights

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The countries that make up the P5+1 (United States, Russia, France, Britain, China and Germany) consider Iran a major threat to non-proliferation and international peace and security. At the same time, these countries, which collectively possess more than 98% of the world’s nuclear weapons, admit that Iran neither possesses a single nuclear bomb nor has made the decision to make one.

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“US Should Ease Sanctions, Recognize Iran Enrichment Rights,” Al Monitor, June 14, 2012.

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There is an Alternative to the Iran Impasse

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In early 2005 Dr Hassan Rowhani, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, told me of the Iranian supreme leader’s position on nuclear enrichment. Ali Khamenei had told him: “I would never abandon the rights of the country as long as I am alive. I would resign if for any reason Iran is deprived of its rights to enrichment, otherwise this may happen after my death.”

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“There is an Alternative to the Iran Impasse,” Financial Times, May 22, 2012.

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Critical Threshold in the Iran Crisis

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Unfortunately, the newly built trust between Iran and the 5+1 powers is in danger of collapse because of the unreasonable insistence by hawkish politicians and pundits in the West who echo Tel Aviv’s demands that Iran halt all enrichment activities and shut down the underground Fordo facility, even though the I.A.E.A. inspects it regularly.

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“Critical Threshold in the Iran Crisis,” co-written with Kaveh Afrasiabi, New York Times, May 12, 2012.