Q&A
Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Domestic and International Pressures Build in Iran
The recent UN sanctions may have been diluted by the strategic interests of members of the UN Security Council, but they could have a stronger impact if they lead to more unilateral sanctions from European countries.
Published on Jun 14, 2010
Source: The Diane Rehm Show
The recent UN sanctions are, Sadjadpour contended, “a starting point, not a finishing line.” In other words, he explained, UN sanctions are generally passed on a lowest common denominator formula because of the strategic interests of states like Russia and China. However, the hope is that these new sanctions will lead to more unilateral sanctions from European countries. “The question is, will these sanctions change the calculations of the regime in regards to their nuclear program,” said Sadjadpour, “and the past thirty years shows the regime is willing to subject its people to economic hardship rather than compromise ideologically.”
Moving forward, Sadjadpour saw three broad challenges for the Obama administration in regards to Iran:
- Reaching a modus vivendi with a regime that derives legitimacy from its antagonism toward the United States.
- Engaging the regime without demoralizing the opposition
- Supporting the opposition without tainting its independence.
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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