Rethinking Maximum Pressure on Iran .

[TomSea]

Rethinking Maximum Pressure on Iran.
By Raymond V. Mason & Ari Cicurel
September 20, 2019


By Raymond V. Mason & Ari Cicurel
September 20, 2019
Rethinking Maximum Pressure on Iran
Mandel Ngan/Pool via AP

A possible Iranian link to the attack on a Saudi oil installation this past weekend is the latest example of Iran’s continued ability to threaten American interests in the Middle East despite robust U.S. sanctions. While the administration is applying maximum economic pressure, sanctions alone will not force Iran to the table and are insufficient to address resulting Iranian retaliation. Therefore, the Trump administration must use the full array of U.S. power: economic, diplomatic, informational, and, if required, military means.

Without the ability to gain economic or diplomatic leverage, Iran is increasingly responding to sanctions with military provocations. Therefore, the administration’s sanctions are not changing Iran’s behavior, and there is little hope of bringing Iran to the table or collapsing the regime. Instead, the administration should seek to amplify the success of its sanctions with an equally strong deterrent posture that removes Iran’s ability to vent their frustration and drives them towards negotiations on their nuclear program.

Last month, Secretary of State Pompeo doubled down on his previous twelve demands for a comprehensive future deal over Iran’s nuclear, missile, proxy force development, and human rights violations.

Read more at: https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2019/09/20/just_how_many_nuclear_facilities_is_iran_hiding_114756.html?mc_cid=f553f50dd5&mc_eid=ba816b4660

Fine if one wants to say 'sanctions' work, it's also a way to get people really mad at  you too.