P
olitics
The Only Way Out of the Middle East Is Through It Patient Engagement Will Finally Allow the United States to Withdraw
by Vali Nasr The United States has long made containing Iran a focus of its efforts in the Middle East, from troop deployments to diplomatic dealmaking. But so far, containment has largely failed. Since 2018, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has withdrawn from the 2015 nuclear deal and exerted maximum pressure on Iran, even moving an additional 20,000 troops into the Middle East. The Iranian threat has only grown. Iran has expanded its nuclear and missile programs and its investment in proxy forces, sophisticated drones, and cyber-capabilities. Critics of the
Iran nuclear deal claim that the agreement failed to curb these threats and insist that any new deal with Tehranmust address them. A comprehensive settlement is unrealistic. Iran will not easily part with strategic assets in which it has invested time and great expense, and it will be reluctant to make major concessions in light of Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 agreement. The United States would do better to mount a sustained diplomatic effort-one that seeks to resolve multiple disputes and to forge key arms control deals. Such a process can build the trust that is needed for Iran to
20
21/08/20
