... material base that could be used in its nuclear programme. Precise information here is also lacking. However, Iran is a large country, and with the political will, its intellectual, scientific, and industrial resources could be sufficient to acquire nuclear weapons in the future.
In pursuing this course, Tehran may well look to the experience of the DPRK. Pyongyang found itself under the harshest UN Security Council sanctions, compounded by unilateral measures introduced by the US and other Western countries. However, even with extremely limited material resources, Pyongyang managed to achieve its goals. Both the failure of international efforts to resolve the DPRK ...
... Tehran’s military activities in the Middle East, it is a fixed-time deal, and it cannot prohibit Iran from extending financial and military aid to its regional allies. Nevertheless, the JCPOA did guarantee the main thing – that Tehran could not obtain nuclear weapons, the prospect of which far outweighs all other threats emanating from the country. Thus far, there is no alternative to this agreement, and no replacement appears to be in the offing. Despite the harsh economic sanctions and the real threat of an open military conflict with the United States, Tehran is firmly holding its ground and does not intend to engage in talks on Washington’s terms. At the same time, Iran continues to hide aces up its sleeves in the ...
... inflicting economic damage on the target country with fewer opportunities to use it for achieving diplomatic goals.
Second, the breakdown of the JCPOA undermines non-proliferation efforts. North Korea is a case in point proving that while failing to remove sanctions, possessing nuclear weapons provides some leverage in negotiations. At the same time, giving up nuclear weapons leads to the re-imposition of sanctions under new pretexts.
Third, every new round of sanctions forces target countries to adapt and find new ways to carry ...
