• Research
  • Diwan
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Middle East logoCarnegie lettermark logo
LebanonIran
{
  "authors": [
    "Karim Sadjadpour"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "Iranian Proliferation"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "MEP",
  "programs": [
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Middle East",
    "Iran"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Security",
    "Nuclear Policy",
    "Foreign Policy"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

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.

Link Copied
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
    Iran Wanted to Survive the War. Now What?

      Suzanne Maloney, Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour

  • Q&A
    What’s Keeping the Iranian Regime in Power—for Now

      Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright

Karim Sadjadpour
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Karim Sadjadpour
SecurityNuclear PolicyForeign PolicyMiddle EastIran

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.

More Work from Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

  • Commentary
    Diwan
    On AI, Cairo Plays China and the U.S. Off Against Each Other

    Huawei pushed hard to enter the Egyptian data centers market, until the Americans made a better offer.

      • Angie Omar

      Angie Omar

  • Commentary
    Diwan
    Less of America is More

    Middle Eastern states should welcome an accelerated U.S. disengagement from their region. 

      Michael Young

  • Commentary
    Diwan
    A Strategic Disaster that Devalues U.S. Military Prowess

    In an interview, former ambassador Charles Freeman assesses the Trump administration’s war against Iran.

      Michael Young

  • Commentary
    Diwan
    The Mecca Agreement Unpacked

    The accord represents a pivotal moment in the region to avert a security vacuum in the Gulf.

      Azeema Cheema, Mohanad Hage Ali

  • Commentary
    Diwan
    Years of Fire

    In an interview, Jason Burke discusses his sweeping account of the “revolutionists” who so shaped the 1970s and early 1980s.

      Michael Young

Get more news and analysis from
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Carnegie Middle East logo, white
  • Research
  • Diwan
  • About
  • Experts
  • Projects
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.