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Source: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.558790
West Shouldn't Undervalue Its Leverage over Iran
(Ha'aretz) Emily B. Landau - The latest talks in Geneva underscore the impact of biting sanctions on Iran, which cannot get desperately needed sanctions relief without cooperating with the international community. So why is the Obama administration adamantly opposing further pressure on Iran? While Kerry insists that if new sanctions are passed by Congress they would destroy the prospect of getting an agreement, these concerns are an exaggeration. Similar fears were raised before the 2012 sanctions were put in place, but they did not push Iran to exit the NPT; rather, the pressure brought Iran back to the table. Indeed, the most likely result is that further pressure would actually enhance the ability of the P5+1 to get the deal they want. The only chance the P5+1 have to get the nuclear deal they want is by keeping Iran dependent on a negotiated deal for the sanctions relief they desperately need. The P5+1 should not surrender any of the leverage they have worked so hard to gain before getting the results they seek. The writer is a senior research associate at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University.