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Source: http://washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2918
Coping with the Challenge of Iran
[Washington Institute for Near East Policy] Nicholas Burns - Iran is the most difficult and complex challenge in the Middle East today. U.S. policy should be geared toward preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear capability, preferably through negotiations and by working with the UN Security Council. Based on the evaluations of Mohamed ElBaradei and the International Atomic Energy Agency, we have reason to believe there is still time for diplomacy. At this point, war with Iran is neither inevitable nor desirable. Although the U.S. and Europe have been maintaining strict sanctions on Iran, the trade void is being filled by other nations, particularly Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. In order for sanctions to be successful, these nations need to participate fully, especially since financial sanctions are necessary for diplomacy to work. The author, until recently undersecretary of state for foreign affairs, addressed the Washington Institute on August 1.