If the United States introduces a new set of sanctions against Iran, the issue of Tehran's nuclear program might never be resolved, a US expert says.WASHINGTON, January 26 (Sputnik) An international consensus forpotential military response, if the ongoing P5+1 nuclear negotiations withIran fall apart, will be impossible should the United States introduce a new roundof sanctions, various US experts told reporters onMonday.
If the talks fall apart because the world perceives that the United States passed sanctions that caused the Iranians towalk away while the negotiations were ongoingyoull have a collapse ofthe sanctions regime, and the idea that there will ever be a unified [international] position onmilitary action will go outthe window, Goldenberg said ina Monday press conference onthe Iranian nuclear negotiations.
US President Barack Obama has stated that all options, including military involvement, are onthe table indealing witha nuclear-armed Iran, inthe event diplomatic negotiations fail. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made clear ina Monday press conference that only a political diplomatic solution is possible foraddressing Irans nuclear weapons program.
Military action againstIran is still far downthe road, Goldenberg noted. For those inthe United States and the European Union who have seriously considered military action againstIran, disrupting the P5+1 nuclear talks withnew sanctions raises the likelihood of never being able tocredibly pursue military action if you want to, the expert warned.
International policy analyst atthe RAND Corporation, Alireza Nader told the press onMonday that sanctions relief forIran will be a better inducement tonegotiate a nuclear deal thanincreasing sanctions. New sanctions will only reinforce the distrust Nader said, adding the collapse ofthe talks onthose terms could lead to escalation fromboth sides or a long-term stalemate.
Former senior staffer forthe Senate Foreign Relations Committee Edward Levine added that efforts bymembers ofCongress toforce the Obama administration intoa tougher posture inthe Iran negotiations will create confusion amongnegotiators. Actions byCongress will tend tocause even the Iranian negotiators towonder who is calling the shots inWashington, Levin said.
The United States, Russia, Great Britain, France, China, and Germany restarted negotiations ona nuclear weapons agreement withIran last week, followingthe November conclusion ofa previous roundof talks that failed toproduce a final agreement.
The US Congress is currently threatening toimpose new sanctions onIran if the P5+1 talks fail toproduce an acceptable outcome.
By Sputnik News
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