Middle East & Persian Gulf

U.S. officials are considering whether to accept Iran’s pursuit of uranium enrichment, which was outlawed by the UN and remains at the heart of fears that Iran seeks nuclear weapons capability.  Mark Fitzpatrick of the Ploughshares-funded International Institute for Strategic Studies said, “There’s a fundamental impasse between the western demand for no enrichment and the Iranian demand to continue enrichment.” The process can produce both nuclear fuel and weapons-grade material. Trita Parsi of the Ploughshares-funded National Iranian American Council commented, “There is a growing recognition in [Washington] that the zero [enrichment] solution, though still favored, simply is unfeasible.”

The U.S. Administration is taking steps to engage Iran, though no one expects the path to be easy.

Henry Sokolski of the Ploughshares-funded Nonproliferation Policy Education Center advises circumspection before Congress approves the first civilian nuclear cooperation

In a significant departure from the previous administration’s tone, President Obama welcomed "new beginnings" with Iran in a surprise video message marking Nowruz, the Iranian new year. The video does not specifically address the nuclear standoff, but instead recognizes the contribution of Iran's historical culture and calls on Tehran's leaders to turn a new page. "These challenges are interconnected and Obama gets that," said Ploughshares Fund President Joe Cirincione.