All Policy Analysis by پاتريك كلاوسون

When it comes to sanctions, continuously adopting new measures is the best way to convince Iran's leaders that they must resolve the nuclear impasse.

Although a nuclear agreement might encourage banks and investors to reengage with Iran, low oil prices and longstanding economic problems could affect how the deal is perceived.

Implementing a nuclear agreement will be no easier than reaching one, and Washington will have little influence over what Iran decides to do over time about the deal.

As the P5+1 and Iran negotiate about the nuclear impasse, Iranian factional politics has heated up. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made disparaging comments about the nuclear negotiations, yet supported continuing the talks. The Rouhani government is facing a variety of criticisms: it is vigorously defending its record at

The Islamic Republic has taken tough measures to adjust to the new sanctions, and its economy is now positioned to grow modestly even if the sanctions remain in place.

Recent U.S. efforts to enforce sanctions and insist on strict interpretation of the Geneva agreement provide a backdrop for the two leaders' upcoming discussion of the Iran nuclear issue.

The president's fellow party members in Congress are unhappy about his perceived lack of coordination with them on various issues, leading to a potentially damaging impasse on Iran.

Given the complexities and dynamics of the Syrian conflict, it is distinctly possible that Israel could be drawn into the fighting. Perhaps more important, the risk of spillover will likely extend years into the future, since the war's aftermath will not include near-term peace between Syria and Israel. How can

Now that an Iran nuclear deal has been signed, the next challenge is implementation. This step will entail at least two major challenges: interpreting the agreement and progressing toward what the deal calls "the final step of a comprehensive solution."

There is a broad consensus among Iran's elite that a nuclear deal with Washington would serve Iran's hegemonic objectives. In this view, the real barrier to such a nuclear accord is not the United States but Europe and Israel, supported by the Saudis. The ongoing nuclear talks are playing very

If he is willing to pay the political price, President Obama can give Iran as much economic relief as he wishes by simply not enforcing existing sanctions.