Weekly Commentary

Iran’s Nuclear Threat: The Next Phase

At last. It is official; Iran’s nuclear dossier has been referred to the UN Security Council for further action. That’s good news and a strategic step forward, albeit long over-due. Tehran’s ‘Russian dance’ early this week did little to decisive anyone. It grabbed lots of headlines but at the end it was just another episode of the now-familiar eleventh-hour ploy by the clerical regime to sow division and buy time.

Iran’s file, however, should have been referred to UN in the fall of 2003; right after the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chronicled the 18-years of Tehran’s lies and deception to cover its secret nuclear weapons program. The 30-months delay gave Iran a golden opportunity to further advance its nuclear program.

Tehran’s former top nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rowhani, recently boasted about his success in prolonging the negotiations, taking advantage of the diplomatic fig leaf the EU-3 talks provided The Tehran rulers. According to the Sunday Telegraph, Rowhani told a closed meeting that "From the outset, the Americans kept telling the Europeans, 'The Iranians are lying and deceiving you and they have not told you everything.' The Europeans used to respond, 'We trust them'”.

Rowhani told his audience at the mullahs' Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution that "When we were negotiating with the Europeans in Teheran we were still installing some of the equipment at the Isfahan site. There was plenty of work to be done to complete the site and finish the work there. In reality, by creating a tame situation, we could finish Isfahan."

There is talk of an “gradual and incremental” diplomatic process in the UN Security Council. And here is an arena the United States must continue to show firmness and leadership to move the ball rolling as fast as possible. Given the futility of negotiations to stop Iran’s nuclear program and in light of Rowhani’s admission, a pro-longed diplomatic process provides Tehran with valuable time. Having a nuclear weapon is a pillar of the clerical regime’s existential strategy and they will not give it up.

Washington’s newly-found vigor and sense of leadership in organizing a concerted international campaign against Tehran is indeed welcome. It should continue to broaden its circle of partners beyond the Security Council if Russia and China drag their feet to do what is needed to stop Iran’s nuclear drive. The coalition-building efforts must be aimed at diplomatic and economic isolation of Tehran regime as a part of an overall and comprehensive policy of regime change by Iranians’ own resistance movement.

We have to keep reminding ourselves that Iran is ruled by a theocratic tyranny bent on ensuring its survival by domestic suppression, terrorism, and development of weapons of mass destruction. Intrinsically and structurally, this regime has zero capacity to change from within and therefore must be replaced. This, not the naïve hope for a “behavioral change” in Iran, is the most crucial reality which should be the essence of any viable Iran policy. (USADI)
 

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The US Alliance for Democratic Iran (USADI), is a US-based, non-profit, independent organization, which promotes informed policy debate, exchange of ideas, analysis, research and education to advance a US  policy on Iran which will benefit America’s interests, both at home and in the Middle East, through supporting Iranian people’s  aspirations for a democratic, secular, and peaceful government, free of tyranny, fundamentalism, weapons of mass destruction, and terrorism.

USADI supports the Iranian peoples' aspirations for democracy, peace,  human rights, women’s equality, freedom of expression, separation of  church and state, self-determination, control of land and resources,  cultural integrity, and the right to development and prosperity.

The USADI is not affiliated with any government agencies, political groups or parties. The USADI administration is solely responsible for its activities and decisions.