Nov. 6, 2015

Unfinished Business from the Iran Nuclear Debate – Robert Satloff
The open questions surrounding the Iran deal remain matters of strategic importance. At the same time, Iran’s actions since the deal’s approval suggest Tehran views the accord not as the pathway to responsible regional behavior but as a license to expand influence, fuel instability, and make trouble for America and its local allies.
Getting clarity on these issues now – in the months before Iran completes its “core requirements” and the deal’s endorsers terminate or waive nuclear-related sanctions – is essential. Key policies and precedents about the deal’s implementation and its impact on U.S. strategic posture in the broader Middle East are being set now. Addressing the unfinished business of the Iran deal – correcting the flaws, filling the holes, and solving the problems it raised – is urgent if the U.S. is to avoid shackling itself to problematic policies and troubling precedents for years to come. The writer is executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. (American Interest)