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Using Financial Sticks to Control Iran
(Washington Post) Juan Zarate and Chip Poncy - As Congress considers the Iranian nuclear deal, it should also prepare a strategy to use U.S. financial and economic power aggressively against a broad array of Iranian threats. The risks from an enriched, emboldened Iran should not be accepted as an unavoidable cost of the deal. Congress should put in place a new strategy, preserving and strengthening our ability to confront Iran's rogue activity through the use of financial power. We should adopt an economic constriction campaign focusing on the Revolutionary Guard and core elements of the regime engaged in terrorist financing, proliferation and providing support to destabilizing proxies. The administration has assured that "non-nuclear" sanctions were not on the table and has admitted that Iran's aggressiveness will increase. It cannot be that the leading state sponsor of terrorism has secured reintegration of its economy and immunity to avoid the aggressive use of U.S. financial measures. Juan Zarate was the first-ever assistant treasury secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, and deputy national security adviser for combating terrorism. Chip Poncy served as the strategic policy director for Treasury's office of terrorism and financial intelligence in the Bush and Obama administrations.