Suzanne Maloney, Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour
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}Source: Getty
Should the U.S. Go To Any Lengths To Prevent a Nuclear Iran?
In a debate over the resolution, "America cannot tolerate a nuclear Iran and must go to any lengths to prevent it," panelists discuss the options available to the U.S. in deterring Iranian nuclear aspirations.
Source: Miller Center of Public Affairs

The participants debated the merits and drawbacks of using military force to destroy Iranian nuclear capabilities and the options of using diplomatic means and economic sanctions to prevent such actions.
Speaking against the resolution, Sadjadpour argued that the cost of military action against Iran would outweigh any potential benefits: first, it would prolong the shelf life of the current regime and entrench its most radical elements; second, it would complicate and exacerbate central challenges for U.S. foreign policy where Iran plays an important role, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Arab-Israel conflict, terrorism and energy security; third, any military action against Iran would justify its ambitions for a nuclear deterrent.
About the Author
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.
- Iran Wanted to Survive the War. Now What?Q&A
- What’s Keeping the Iranian Regime in Power—for NowQ&A
Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright
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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