Source: MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports
Speaking on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports, Carnegie's Karim Sadjadpour explained that the rhetoric between Iran and Israel has consistently escalated over the course of the last several months. However, both President Obama and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei have recently made conciliatory statements that have worked to dial down the temperature. Sadjadpour suggested that Iran sees little incentive to be transparent because transparency would just expose Tehran's illicit activities. “For a diplomatic solution to work, Iran must not feel as though it will be penalizing itself for being transparent,” noted Sadjadpour. For coercive sanctions and diplomacy to work, Sadjadpour argued that bellicose rhetoric must be kept to a minimum. “Whenever Prime Minister Netanyahu makes a statement about going to war with Iran, it causes speculation in the world oil market and spikes the price of oil,” said Sadjadpour. This inevitability blunts the power of any sanctions regime and demonstrates the importance of circumspect rhetoric.