Source: NPR’s Here and Now
Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program have been extended for four more months after the latest round of intense negotiations failed to meet an agreement. Speaking to NPR’s Here & Now, Carnegie’s Karim Sadjadpour said that when the interim nuclear deal was reached in November 2013, there was a fundamental mismatch of expectations about what a comprehensive deal would entail. While the United States believes that in order to reach a comprehensive deal Iran would need to curtail its nuclear program much further, he argued, Iran believes it should be able to retain what it now has of its nuclear program and the United States would push back its sanctions.
“Both parties recognize that a continuation of the negotiations is better than any alternative option,” Sadjadpour said. He added that Obama has two fundamental objects for Iran: to avert a nuclear armed Iran and avert having to take military action against Iran. A continuation of negotiations is a step toward both those objectives. Additional sanctions won’t be enough to force Iran to compromise and it could be enough to escalate into a dangerous position, he warned.