Dear Editor,
Sanctions are a tool of economic warfare that produce unintended and undesirable consequences rather than positive results that benefit working people.
Threats of war and economic warfare over the last three years have further destabilized Iran’s economy, undercut the middle class, and empowered hardliners keen to crack down on civil society pursuing more openness and democratic change.
Compounded by the COVID-19 crisis, people in Iran are increasingly forced to focus on meeting basic survival needs, undermining their ability to organize, advocate for human rights, and push for political change in Iran.
By delaying, the Biden administration opened up space for hardliners in Iran and the United States to gin up further opposition to a compliance-for-compliance return to the deal.
The Biden administration should resist calls to renegotiate the terms of the Iran Nuclear Deal, instead focusing on ensuring the U.S. and Iran precipitously return to compliance with the deal and then pursue follow-on agreements.
If the Iran Nuclear Deal is not prioritized, we risk regional escalations between the U.S. and Iran-backed proxies, while other regional powers like Saudi Arabia may seek ambiguous nuclear programs that could lead toward regional nuclear proliferation.
With Iran hawks ramping up their campaign against U.S.-Iran diplomacy, it’s crucial that Members of Congress speak out in the media and public events about the failures of “maximum pressure” and the benefits of the Iran Nuclear Deal and diplomatic engagement to U.S., Iranian, and international security.
The Biden administration should be bold in providing sanctions relief.
Christine Meisenheimer
