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Squandered Leverage over Iran
(Washington Post) Michael Singh - The U.S. holds a strong bargaining position going into Friday's scheduled nuclear talks with Iran. An Israeli military attack seems imminent. U.S.- and EU-led sanctions on Iran's Central Bank and oil exports are wreaking havoc on the Iranian economy. Yet it is the U.S. that is signaling that it is prepared to make concessions - setting the stage for Washington's unprecedented leverage to be squandered. The U.S. should insist that Iran suspend all of its uranium enrichment activities, take steps to address International Atomic Energy Agency concerns about its nuclear work, including coming clean about its weaponization research, and submit to intrusive monitoring and verification. These points are required by UN Security Council Resolution 1929 and preceding resolutions. The Obama administration should also insist that Iran transport its enriched uranium stockpiles out of the country, dismantle the Fordo facility and stop work on advanced centrifuges. Only if Iran takes these steps can the U.S. be sure that it will not use negotiations to buy time or perfect its nuclear weapons capabilities. Doing any less would waste precious leverage that has taken years to build. The writer, managing director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, worked on Middle East issues at the National Security Council from 2005 to 2008.