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Can Rouhani or Obama Deliver on any Deal?
(Washington Post) Fareed Zakaria - Hassan Rouhani wants to end his country's isolation. But it remains unclear whether he has the authority to act on behalf of his government. Consider what happened Tuesday, when the Iranians turned down a White House offer of a brief meeting with President Obama. Rouhani explained that such steps have to be taken with proper preparation. One has to wonder: If Rouhani does not have the freedom to shake Obama's hand, does he have the freedom to negotiate a nuclear deal? Iran has dozens of layers of sanctions arrayed against it. The most onerous by far are the sanctions passed through acts of Congress, and those will be the most difficult to lift. Obama can unilaterally lift only sanctions based on presidential executive orders, which are the least burdensome.