New Sanctions Could Sink Nuclear Diplomacy With Iran

January 8, 2015 | Edited by Will Saetren and Jacob Marx

Sanctions - “Now is not the time for additional sanctions legislation [on Iran],” writes Steve Sheffey in a new op-ed for The Hill. “Premature enactment of additional sanctions legislation would violate the JPOA, which would disrupt our international coalition and probably cause Iran to renege on its commitments under the JPOA, thus stealing defeat from the jaws of possible victory.” Full column here. http://bit.ly/1Aw59nJ

Finding a constructive role - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Corker said Wednesday that his most pressing priority is figuring out how to get Congress a voice in the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran. The exact timeline for introduction of two pieces of legislations (one imposing sanctions, the other specifying a role for Congress in negotiations) is still unclear. Full story by Ali Watkins for the Huffington Post. http://huff.to/1BLArUi

Optimistic outlook - “I am confident that a comprehensive agreement is absolutely within reach, provided that the process is not torpedoed by the US Congress and Netanyahu,” writes former Iranian negotiator Seyed Hossein Mousavian in Al-Monitor.

--“The bottom line is clear: Both sides need each other. The United States without Iran would continue to see its problems in the region remain unresolved or even aggravated, and Iran without the United States would continue to suffer in other ways.” Read the full piece here. http://bit.ly/1wwzBHL

Tweet - @StateDeptPress: MEDIA NOTE: Acting Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman Travel to Geneva http://1.usa.gov/1DpO2VN #Iran

Shot across the bow - Speaking to a group of Iranians from the holy city of Qom, Iran’s Supreme Leader said that, “Iran would reject conditions for the lifting of sanctions that undermined the country’s ‘honor.’” Khamenei has voiced his support for the talks in the past, “provided they don’t encroach on what he deems the country’s rights.” Read the full story by Ladane Nasseri for Bloomberg News here. http://bloom.bg/1xJ5DEG

Morale trouble - “A 2014 survey of government workers has revealed a lot of unhappiness in the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Production Office, which oversees operations at the Y-12 and Pantex nuclear weapons plants,” writes Frank Munger for the Knoxville News Sentinel. “Based on survey results obtained by the News Sentinel, the Y-12/Pantex oversight office may have the worst morale of any unit within the entire U.S. Department of Energy.” Read the full story here. http://bit.ly/1s8Z4dY

Quick Hits:

--”Iranian reformers oppose government's nuclear ambitions,” by Ray Takeyh in the Los Angeles Times. http://lat.ms/14z3ald

--“The real threat from North Korea is the nuclear arsenal built over the last decade,” by Siegfried Hecker for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. http://bit.ly/1wYU5YT

--“The End of Sanctuary in Space,” by Brian Weeden for War is Boring. http://bit.ly/1wYLOnF

--“The nuclear threat: reflections on the atomic age,” by Joseph Siracusa and Frank Gavin in The Conversation. http://bit.ly/1BE333T

--“The Pentagon Wants To Extend the Range of One of Its Missile Interceptors,” by Marcus Weisgerber for Defense One. http://bit.ly/1BLzrjd

Events:

--"WMD Terrorism and the American Response." Featuring Brad Hammitt of the National Nuclear Security Administration. January 8 at 4:30p.m. Off the record. Located at the Institute of World Politics, 1521 16th St. NW, Washington. RSVP online.

--“The Endgame: Success or Failure in Iran Nuclear Talks?" Featuring Ambassador Bill Luers, Paul Pillar, and Robin Wright of The Iran Project. January 12 from 4:30p.m.-6:00p.m. Located at Georgetown University’s Mortara Center for International Studies, 3600 N St. NW, Washington. RSVP online.

--“Strategic Deterrence in the Twenty-First Century." Featuring Adm. Cecil Haney, Commander, U.S. Strategic Forces. January 15 at 9:30 a.m.. Located at the Atlantic Council, 12th Floor, 1030 15th St. NW, Washington. RSVP online.

--“Strategic Deterrence in 2015 and Beyond," featuring Maj. Gen. Garrett Harencak, Air Force Assistant Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration. January 20, 7:00-9:00 a.m. Sponsored by the Air Force Association. Key Bridge Marriot, 1401 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA. RSVP online.