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The World Must Tell Iran: No More Half-Steps
(Washington Post) Ray Takeyh - While Iran is now presumed to be ruled by pragmatists who seek to end its isolation, the critical decisions will be made by Iran's Supreme National Security Council, which increasingly is populated by a cohort of hard-liners who have spent much of their career in the military and security services. The head of the council is Ali Shamkhani, a hardened member of the Revolutionary Guards and former minister of defense. Shamkhani and his advisers sense that this is a propitious time for the Islamic Republic to claim the mantle of regional leadership. They also believe that Iran needs a nuclear capability to enhance its influence. It is time for the great powers to have a maximalist approach to diplomacy with Iran. It is too late for more Iranian half-steps and half-measures. Tehran must account for all its illicit nuclear activities and be compelled to make irreversible concessions that permanently degrade its ability to reconstitute its nuclear weapons program at a more convenient time. The writer is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.