ASP’s Lodge: Confidence building is needed in upcoming P5+1 – Iran talks
ASP’s Director of Nuclear Security, Ms. Terri Lodge, wrote an op-ed in The Hill yesterday regarding the upcoming P5+1 Iran talks.
Ms. Lodge noted:
Iranian representatives have talked in recent weeks about their desire for sanctions relief to be a point of discussion in Baghdad. This shows that the strong sanctions implemented against Iran are working and legitimizes recent reports of an Iranian economy under siege. But unless there are substantial concessions from Iran, major sanctions relief should not be on the table. The U.S. and EU may opt to postpone additional sanctions as part of an agreement, but the negotiations between the two parties is not yet at the point where discussions regarding major sanctions relief is appropriate.
She concluded:
Of course, there are still major obstacles in the way of the full resolution of this issue. At the core of the problem is crafting an agreement that will satisfy all three parties: Iran, the United States, and Israel, all of which have vastly different threat perceptions and political challenges to consider. Reconciling these differences will be a monumentally difficult task, but next week’s meeting represents a real opportunity for progress on this important issue.
You can read the full article here
