US Opinion and Commentary

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Iran President to Avoid Obama in Brief Visit to U.N.

Posted September 19th, 2016 at 9:43 am (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s fourth sojourn to New York during the annual General Assembly summit will be his shortest since taking office – only two days. Rouhani, who is due to arrive Tuesday and leave Thursday, is seeking a Goldilocks-like happy medium intended to show that he is still relevant but avoiding […]

One Year In, the Iran Nuclear Deal Is Working

Posted June 20th, 2016 at 4:52 pm (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin Nearly a year after Iran and a U.S.-led international community reached a landmark nuclear deal, the good news is that there almost isn’t any news about Iran’s nuclear program. In its second report since the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was implemented Jan. 16, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found no […]

Supporters of Nuclear Deal Should Promote Iran Human Rights

Posted May 12th, 2016 at 11:08 am (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin Every day brings another horrific story of human rights abuses in the Middle East. From the killing fields of Syria to the carnage in Yemen to the crowded prisons of Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and Israel, there are enough atrocities in the region to absorb the energies of dozens of […]

U.S. Sanctions Still Hinder European Business with Iran

Posted May 6th, 2016 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin ZURICH – Frustration was palpable at a conference this week in Switzerland on European business with Iran. The continued hangover of United States sanctions that prevent Iranian access to the U.S. financial system — and bankers’ fear of punitive new fines — are inhibiting the mega deals that many Iranians and Europeans anticipated would […]

What Would Be Most Likely to Unravel the Iran Nuclear Agreement

Posted February 10th, 2016 at 11:27 am (UTC-5)
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The scenario that presents the greatest danger of the nuclear agreement unraveling is thus one in which new sanctions legislation and other Iran-punishing moves by the U.S. Congress cross a line that leads most Iranians to get fed up and to say to heck with it.

America Needs Iranian Cooperation

Posted January 15th, 2016 at 3:54 pm (UTC-5)
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The recent strife between Saudi Arabia and Iran, regional powers that have commanding influence in the Sunni and Shia worlds respectively, has made the Middle East even more volatile. By pursuing legislation to sink the Iran deal, the U.S. Congress will be adding fuel to the fire.

Quick, Direct US-Iran Diplomacy Pays Off for Sailors

Posted January 13th, 2016 at 1:57 pm (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin When Iran detained 10 American sailors who had intruded into Iranian territorial waters, opponents of President Barack Obama’s diplomacy with Tehran thought they had struck political gold. Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush immediately tweeted. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio asserted Iran was “testing the boundaries of this administration’s resolve.” Cable news channels, seeking to fill […]

How Should Washington Respond to Iran’s Ballistic Missile Tests?

Posted December 22nd, 2015 at 12:12 pm (UTC-5)
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Rather than pursuing additional unilateral sanctions at this time or taking the draconian step of suspending the sanctions relief as outlined in the July 14 P5+1 and Iran nuclear agreement, the United States, our allies and partners should consider other effective means to curb Iran’s missile development.

Iran Nuclear Agreement Faces ‘Significant Turbulence’

Posted December 21st, 2015 at 1:43 pm (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin Eager to see relief of punishing economic sanctions, Iran is moving swiftly to implement the landmark nuclear deal it reached with the international community in July. But other actions in Tehran and Washington are souring the climate for compliance. Stephen Mull, the State Department’s lead coordinator for the agreement, faced tough questioning […]

Where New Cooperation Could Lead

Posted October 20th, 2015 at 10:16 am (UTC-5)
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One of the ironies of our time is that the people of Iran are among the most pro-American in the greater Middle East…. At the political level, however, the history of the two countries is full of bitter memories…. Could that ugly history ever give way to a sunnier view?

A Done Deal, Debate on Iran Turns to Implementation

Posted September 9th, 2015 at 4:29 pm (UTC-5)
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The Iran nuclear deal and Congress’s impending vote has become the most contentious foreign policy issue since the decision to invade Iraq in 2003. President Obama has the votes he needs, but the debate continues. Republican presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Ted Cruz held a rally against the deal at the Capitol, just a few hours after Democratic contender Hillary Clinton shared how she would ensure Tehran’s compliance: “Distrust and verify.”

Iran Deal Features Defense Backstop

Posted September 7th, 2015 at 11:21 am (UTC-5)
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By US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter   Today, the Iran deal provides the opportunity to address an even greater nuclear threat. Congress should support it because, once implemented, the deal will remove a critical source of risk and uncertainty in a vitally important but tumultuous region.

Obama’s Political Win on the Iran Deal Is a Hollow Victory

Posted September 3rd, 2015 at 10:22 am (UTC-5)
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The president won’t win approval of his odious deal; a majority of Congress remains firmly opposed. He’s simply manipulated the process by demonizing his opponents as warmongers

Debate over Iran Nuke Deal Intensifies

Posted August 26th, 2015 at 2:12 pm (UTC-5)
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Both sides in the debate over the Iran nuclear deal are in full campaign mode, counting heads in Congress for the vote in mid-September, and making contingency plans. The hashtag #IranDeal is being used to promote arguments pro and con. The White House praised last week’s endorsement by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat from New York, who is Jewish. Deal opponents point to Sen. Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, who is also Jewish. Republicans are reportedly preparing legislation to sanction Iran if the deal is rejected by vote – or Obama invokes his right to veto.

The High Price of Rejecting the Iran Deal

Posted August 14th, 2015 at 10:00 am (UTC-5)
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The simple fact is that, after two years of testing Iran in negotiations, the international community does not believe that ramping up sanctions will persuade Iran to eradicate all traces of its hard-won civil nuclear program or sever its ties to its armed proxies in the region.

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