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Not by Sanctions Alone: Using Military and Other Means to Bolster Nuclear Diplomacy with Iran

(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Michael Eisenstadt - Washington must supplement sanctions with the more effective use of its military, and of the informational and soft-power assets that Tehran really fears, to alter the Islamic Republic's cost-benefit calculus. Washington has frequently responded with an abundance of prudence and caution to Iranian actions. Such restraint, however, is seen in Tehran as a sign of weakness, and may cause Tehran to doubt U.S. claims that "all options are on the table" regarding its nuclear program. Washington must convince Tehran that it risks a military confrontation with the U.S. if it continues toward becoming a nuclear threshold state. Tehran should also understand that in the event of a military confrontation, the U.S. will not respond in a symmetric manner, but with measures that could potentially destabilize the Islamic Republic. The writer is a senior fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.
2013-07-02 00:00:00
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