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Incremental Sanctions Make a Nuclear Iran More Likely
(Foreign Policy) Michael Singh - The instinct of policymakers in Europe and Washington is often to act incrementally; stronger sanctions are proposed, only to be diluted in UN negotiations aimed at unanimity. This incremental approach is counterproductive. The sanctions' predictability and long lead time allows Tehran to prepare for them in advance. The West should eschew any gradual buildup of pressure for bolder, less predictable, and faster-acting measures. It is possible that a bolder approach to sanctions will induce the Iranian regime to preemptively change its strategy. The writer, a fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, is a former senior director for Middle East affairs at the National Security Council.