White House Divded Over Iran

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif discuss seating arrangements for a meeting during a new round of nuclear negotiations in Montreux March 2, 2015. Reuters/Evan Vucci/Pool

Politico: A changed Iran? Obama aides divided



Some in the White House doubt a nuclear deal would alter the regime’s attitude toward the U.S.


Both President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have suggested that a nuclear deal with Iran could be a step towards thawed relations between Washington and Tehran. But experts and even some senior administration officials are more skeptical, warning that a deal might not moderate Iran’s clerical regime and could even embolden it.


Sources familiar with the Obama administration’s thinking describe a split among top officials over what to expect from Iran after a deal, a debate that could determine America’s wider strategy in the Middle East.


“So many proponents of the deal have argued that there will be a spillover effect — that if we can get this deal then we would be likely to alter Iran’s trajectory on its regional approach as well as its domestic policies,” says Suzanne Maloney, an Iran expert at the Brookings Institution.


WNU Editor: What's my take .... President Bush believed in 2003 that if the U.S. invaded Iraq, it would set into motion a momentum for democratic ideals, stability, and a more peaceful and secured region .... he unfortunately did not appreciate the deeply rooted cultural and religious dimensions (many of them destructive) that have dictated the course of events in the region for centuries, and how difficult it would be to change them. The same can be said about President Obama and his policy towards Iran .... he believes that they can change .... that they will alter their policies in view of U.S. willingness to negotiate and compromise. My prediction .... this policy will also fail .... the leadership of Iran have a radically different agenda from President Obama's, and none of them involve accommodating U.S. or any other non-Shiite group in the region.