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US, region should benefit from lifting sanctions on Iran

A recent Washington Post op-ed by David Petraeus and Vance Serchuk is more of the same old, misguided thinking about Iran and the region.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton (L) and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif address a news conference after talks in Vienna April 9, 2014. Six world powers and Iran will need "a lot of intensive work" to bridge differences during talks over Tehran's nuclear programme, Ashton said on Wednesday after their latest meeting. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader  (AUSTRIA - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR3KKLC

If one wanted to point to an outdated argument advising the United States on how to deal with Iran in regional affairs, the best candidate would be the April 9 op-ed by David Petraeus and Vance Serchuk in The Washington Post. In “U.S. Needs to Plan for Day After an Iran Deal,” the authors propose that President Barack Obama pursue the policy of maintaining an intense US presence in the Middle East to contain Iranian power and in doing so preserve US national and security interests.

The article’s main argument is that lifting economic sanctions will unleash Iranian power in the region. Tehran’s subsequent support of terrorism, they contend, would gravely endanger US geostrategic interests in the Middle East. This point is disputable, because any improved relations between Iran and the United States that result from a comprehensive nuclear deal, following the removal of sanctions and a reduction in nuclear activities, will immediately bring about positive implications for regional stability through cooperation.

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