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No Nuclear Compromise

(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Mehdi Khalaji - Not only does Israel see a nuclear Iran as an existential threat, but also Arab countries - especially members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The only hope for a Middle East nuclear-free zone is to stop Iran from reaching nuclear capability. While Israeli nuclear capability primarily aims to protect a country surrounded by enemies, Iran's attempt to obtain such capability remains unjustifiable in the eyes of the West and also neighboring countries - who have made it a priority to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions. Without Saudi Arabian and Gulf countries' intensive efforts in enforcing sanctions on Iran, the Islamic Republic would not be as economically and politically isolated as it is today. Iran will not be able to survive existing sanctions, which unprecedentedly target the banking system and oil industry. The world should put maximum effort on enforcing current sanctions. An unbearable economic crisis is occurring in Iran and it would certainly divide the circle of policy makers, especially the influential Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. This would most likely bring significant change to Iran's nuclear policy. The writer is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute.
2012-03-09 00:00:00
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