The Iranian regime has made clear it is uninterested in ending its nuclear program. In addition, Iran’s new president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has reversed the minimal political and economic reforms of recent years. In less than six months as president, Ahmadinejad has chosen a cabinet of hardliners, outlawed Western music, inaugurated a new campaign of anti-Semitism, and violated Iran’s agreement on uranium enrichment with the EU-3. He has openly threatened the United States and its Western partners, claiming that the West’s need for Tehran outweighs his need for their approval. In short, he has made obvious that the Iranian regime is a threat to the United States and its allies in Europe and the Middle East.
Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism and a destabilizing force in the region. Terrorists work at Iran’s direction in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories. The regime has demonstrated its intent to develop nuclear weapons. Members of Congress and the Bush administration have said that the time for negotiation with Iran is over. But what is the way forward? Can the Iranian nuclear threat be contained? Will Iran continue to sponsor terror with impunity? And will any solution to the nuclear nightmare require ignoring the regime’s repression at home?
The day before the International Atomic Energy Agency meets to refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation Stephen G. Rademaker will discuss U.S. policy and the threat posed by Iran alleged illegal nuclear program. AEI is also pleased to host Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) for a policy address on the next steps in dealing with the nuclear threat, U.S. support for human rights and democracy, and a two-track approach to relations with Iran. He will be joined by a panel of experts including: George Perkovich, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment; Patrick Clawson, deputy director for research at the Washington Institute; and AEI’s Danielle Pletka.
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