What To Expect, As United States And Iran Resume Nuclear Talks

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In The Media

What To Expect, As United States And Iran Resume Nuclear Talks

Failed talks on Iran’s nuclear program could lead to a managed irresolution, where the two sides fail to meet in the same place but also recognize that it is in the best interests of both parties to have the talks keep going.

By Karim Sadjadpour

Published on Feb 20, 2015

Source: WBUR Here and Now

As Iran and the United States were preparing for another round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program in Geneva, Carnegie’s Karim Sadjadpour discussed the possible outcomes of the ongoing talks with WBUR Here and Now. He said that the main outstanding issues between the negotiating parties right now include the number of centrifuges Iran should be allowed, the length of time the agreement should hold for, and how the sanctions should be phased out.

Sadjadpour added that more recent news about the talks offer some optimistic signs about concluding the deal, but the news often swing between optimism and pessimism. One of the obstacles to successfully concluding the talks is the hardliners in Tehran “who are fearful that if a nuclear deal happens that could spur greater U.S.-Iran cooperation, which could undermine their hold on power,” Sadjadpour said.

Sadjadpour concluded that if the talks failed, this would not necessarily lead to military action against Tehran. Instead, “a more likely possibility is that there isn’t a comprehensive resolution.” This would lead to what Sadjadpour refers to as a “managed irresolution,” which means that “the two sides fail to meet in the same place” but also recognize that it is in the best interest of both parties to “have the talks keep going.”

This interview was originally broadcast by WBUR Here and Now.

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.

Recent Work

Q&A
What’s Keeping the Iranian Regime in Power—for Now
- Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright
Q&A
How Washington and Tehran Are Assessing Their Next Steps
- Aaron David Miller, David Petraeus, Karim Sadjadpour

Security Nuclear Policy Foreign Policy Middle East Iran

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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