Watch Webinar – Risks of Iran Talks
Iran is closer than ever to possessing a nuclear arsenal. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s February 25 report revealed Iran’s stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium has ballooned by nearly one-third since November. Tehran’s nuclear scientists are also reportedly pursuing a new technical shortcut to turn enriched uranium into fieldable weapons in mere months.
Recognizing the mortal dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran, President Trump stated on March 7, “it’s very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.” However, President Trump has also signaled a strong desire to, like his predecessors, address this threat through a risky diplomatic effort likely involving concessions to Iran. President Trump has sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei requesting negotiations, and told reporters that “I would prefer to make a deal with Iran,” though signaling his willingness to use military force if necessary.
JINSA hosted a webinar to analyze the unfolding situation with former Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela under President Donald Trump, Elliott Abrams, JINSA Distinguished Scholar and Iran Policy Project co-chairman Amb. Eric Edelman, and the Hon. Stephen Rademaker, JINSA Senior Advisor and former Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation.
The discussion was moderated by JINSA’s Vice President for Policy, Blaise Misztal.
Amb. Elliott Abrams Elliott Abrams is senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, DC. He served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor in the administration of President George W. Bush, where he supervised U.S. policy in the Middle East for the White House, and as Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela in the administration of Donald Trump. |
Amb. Eric Edelman Amb. Eric Edelman is a Distinguished Scholar at JINSA’s Gemunder Center for Defense & Strategy and the Co-Chair of its Iran Policy Project and Eastern Mediterranean Policy Project. Amb. Edelman served in senior positions at the Departments of State and Defense, including as Undersecretary of Defense for Policy from August 2005 to January 2009. |
The Hon. Stephen Rademaker The Hon. Stephen Rademaker has over 20 years’ experience working on national security issues in multiple branches of government. As Assistant Secretary of State he led multiple bureaus at the State Department, and also directed the Proliferation Security Initiative and nonproliferation policy toward Iran and North Korea. From September 2005 until May 2006, he served as the first Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation. |
Blaise Misztal Blaise Misztal is the Vice President for Policy at JINSA. His research interests include Iran and its nuclear program, U.S.-Turkey relations, countering extremism, and strategic competition. Prior to joining JINSA, Misztal served as the Executive Director of the Task Force on Extremism in Fragile States, a congressionally mandated project convened by the U.S. Institute of Peace, and Director of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s National Security Program. |