Q&A
Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Why Iran Nuclear Talks Failed To Meet Deadline
There was a fundamental mismatch of expectations between the United States and Iran over what a comprehensive deal would entail when the interim nuclear deal was reached in November 2013.
Published on Jul 22, 2014
Source: NPR’s Here and Now
Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program have been extended for four more months after the latest round of intense negotiations failed to meet an agreement. Speaking to NPR’s Here & Now, Carnegie’s Karim Sadjadpour said that when the interim nuclear deal was reached in November 2013, there was a fundamental mismatch of expectations about what a comprehensive deal would entail. While the United States believes that in order to reach a comprehensive deal Iran would need to curtail its nuclear program much further, he argued, Iran believes it should be able to retain what it now has of its nuclear program and the United States would push back its sanctions.
“Both parties recognize that a continuation of the negotiations is better than any alternative option,” Sadjadpour said. He added that Obama has two fundamental objects for Iran: to avert a nuclear armed Iran and avert having to take military action against Iran. A continuation of negotiations is a step toward both those objectives. Additional sanctions won’t be enough to force Iran to compromise and it could be enough to escalate into a dangerous position, he warned.
About the Author
Karim Sadjadpour
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Karim Sadjadpour is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.
- What’s Keeping the Iranian Regime in Power—for Now
- How Washington and Tehran Are Assessing Their Next StepsQ&A
Aaron David Miller, David Petraeus, Karim Sadjadpour
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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