| Embargo "Best Gift" US Could Give Iran |
| Written by Parisa Ghobbeh | |
| Monday, 08 June 2009 | |
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Washington DC – The “best gift” the United States could give to Iran would be to “launch an economic embargo on Iran,” according to Keith Crane, Director of the RAND Corporation’s Environment, Energy, and Economic Development Program. At a conference last Friday titled “Understanding Iran: Domestic and Foreign Policy on the Eve of the Presidential Election,” Crane said that long-term economic sanctions could be effective, but that they are currently not strong enough to threaten the existence of the regime.
He believes that an economic embargo would actually force the Iranian government to institute reforms that its economy desperately needs, while allowing hardliners to place the blame for any short-term pain on the West. Along with Crane, the conference aimed to address Iran’s domestic and foreign policy issues on the eve of their presidential elections. RAND Policy Analyst Alireza Nader took the floor to address Iran’s current political situation. Describing Iran’s presidential candidates for the election this week, Nader said that current President Ahmadinejad “is not the right president for US engagement.” Instead, Nader stated that either candidates Mir Hussein Musavi or Mohsen Rezai would be far better suited for the presidency, and would improve the prospects for American diplomacy. Nader said that the US should be patient when engaging Iran, recognizing that the President is ultimately limited in instituting reforms. Nader said that because of Supreme Leader Khamenei, the “Islamist right will strongly shape the course of engagement with the US.” Despite this fact, Nader remains hopeful that a shift from Ahmadinejad will improve Iran’s “tone and image” to the world. Recognizing the past thirty years of relations between Iran and the United States as a “downward spiral of hostility,” Ambassador John Limbert also spoke, saying that the two countries should engage each other on all the major issues plaguing their relationship. He stated that Americans should “maintain a paradox: they must be patient and keep expectations realistic but also have high expectations” for a successful outcome. Limbert pushed for the US to continue pursuing dialogue with Iran, stating “If we expect failure, we are going to get it.” Nearly all the speakers were unanimous in calling for a new US role in Iran, with Limbert emphasizing the need for patience and persistence when interacting with Iran.
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