Q&A
Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Deescalating Tension with Iran
Negotiations are unlikely to resolve the problems surrounding Iran’s nuclear program at this time, but they can help deescalate tensions and maintain stability between all concerned parties.
Published on Apr 17, 2012
Source: MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports
Speaking on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports, Carnegie’s Karim Sadjadpour explained that any resolution to the problem posed by the Iranian nuclear program will ultimately be due to the decisions of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. He steers the nuclear ship and no deal can be made without him. Unfortunately, noted Sadjadpour, “Khamenei views hostility to the United States and Israel as a central pillar of his revolutionary ideology.” As a result, it seems as though no deal can be made with Ayatollah Khamenei, yet no deal can be made with him.
Furthermore, Israeli national security interests and American domestic politics have only furthered exacerbated the problematic nature of efforts to reach a deal. Ultimately, Sadjadpour stated that “this conflict cannot be resolved at this time, but needs to be managed.” Negotiations like those at the recent Istanbul meeting can help to deescalate tensions and establish stability between all concerned parties.
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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