Making sense of Iran’s nuclear moves

Excerpt

Things are about to get worse on the Iran nuclear front. That’s essentially what Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised in a speech on Wednesday before commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country’s most infamous military force. Per Khamenei, Iran is slated to continue reducing its adherence to the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), until “the desired result” is achieved.

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A closer look at Iran’s breaches of the JCPOA, however, reveals that despite sanctions pressure, the regime is not looking to promptly withdraw from the accord, nor dash to make a weapon. Rather, Iran is incrementally escalating its nuclear program under the auspices of a deliberate strategy. Here’s why.

Behnam Ben Taleblu is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (@FDD), where he focuses on Iranian political and security issues. He frequently briefs Washington audiences on a host of Iran-related issues and has testified before the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament.