Hill Update on Iran Policy

by Lara Friedman It is now clear (and it was indeed predictable/predicted) that 2016 will see a continued and even redoubled campaign of pressure on Iran from Congress. For some members of Congress, this campaign will genuinely be about legitimate… Continue Reading

The Odd American View of Negotiation

by Paul R. Pillar One of the unfortunate corollaries of American exceptionalism is a warped and highly asymmetric conception of negotiation. This conception can become a major impediment to the effective exercise of U.S. diplomacy. Although the attitudes that are… Continue Reading

Obama Prepares for Showdown with Congress Over Iran Deal

by Jasmin Ramsey Two days after the deadline for reaching a deal over Iran’s nuclear programme had passed, negotiators looked like they would be going home empty handed. But a surprisingly detailed framework was announced Apr. 2 in Lausanne, Switzerland,… Continue Reading

Friends, Not Just Enemies, of an Iranian Nuclear Deal are Imperiling It

by Paul R. Pillar U.S. and Iranian negotiators are in Geneva resuming work on an agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear program. Whether the negotiations succeed in producing a deal is still very much in doubt, but not because it is… Continue Reading

Was the Iran Deal Threatened by US Sanctions Provisions?

by Peter Jenkins What went wrong? Why were the United States and Iran unable to come to a comprehensive agreement in Vienna on Monday? According to an Iranian source close to the negotiations, the main obstacle was the inability of… Continue Reading