Turmoil Over Iran

{
  "authors": [
    "Karim Sadjadpour"
  ],
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  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
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  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
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  "programs": [
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  "regions": [
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  "topics": [
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In The Media

Turmoil Over Iran

The Obama administration must carefully balance its attempts to engage Iran on its nuclear program, Iraq, and Afghanistan with its need to support the Iranian opposition.

By Karim Sadjadpour

Published on Feb 17, 2010

Source: Al Jazeera's Riz Khan

The Obama administration faces a profound dilemma in its attempts at engagement with Iran. On one hand, the administration has attempted to enter talks on the Iran nuclear program and security issues in Iraq and Afghanistan. On the other hand, “the Iranian regime is facing an existential crisis and the Obama administration must figure out how to engage the regime without betraying the opposition,” asserts Karim Sadjadpour. While it is true that the opposition has not explicitly called for direct U.S. intervention, the younger generation has expressed a desire for expressions of solidarity and moral support.

According to Sadjadpour, “the United States should be realistic about the type of influence the it can have in Iran. Its paramount concern should be to cause no harm to the opposition.” Ultimately, Sadjadpour states, the Obama administration should aim to be on the right side of history and not let this opportunity go to waste while myopically focusing on the Iranian nuclear program.

Political Reform Foreign Policy Nuclear 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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