|
Trending Topics
|
Source: http://nationalinterest.org/feature/how-iran-twisting-reality-get-what-it-wants-16114
How Iran Is Twisting Reality to Get What It Wants
(National Interest) Emily Landau - Nothing has changed in terms of Iran's military nuclear ambitions, and Iran continues to advance its program where it can. In the post-deal period, Iran continues to try to squeeze more concessions from the West - to ensure improvement of its economic situation beyond what was agreed to. Iran forever glosses over its aggressive regional behavior, gross human rights violations, and missile and nuclear advances. In attempting to squeeze more concessions, Iran adamantly claims that it has upheld its end of the bargain meticulously, while accusing the U.S. of bad-faith behavior and of shirking its commitments. These accusations were predictable from the start, because the tactic has been employed so many times before. It is the exact pattern that Iran followed in the early stage of negotiations with the EU-3, from 2003-05. Generally speaking, the U.S. has refrained from pushing back with determination against Iran's false narratives. The administration's response to Iran's missile tests that violated UN Security Council resolutions was delayed and relatively mute, failing to highlight Iran's ongoing support for terror. Iran's success in the long and drawn-out negotiation with the international community from 2003 to 2015 was due to its ability to manipulate the weaknesses in the NPT long enough, so that when it was finally forced to negotiate seriously, it already had an advanced nuclear program. The writer heads the Arms Control and Regional Security Program at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv.