Here’s How We Know Iran Is Serious About a Nuclear Deal

Those in Congress who oppose U.S.-Iran negotiations to settle the nuclear issue essentially argue that Iran is untrustworthy and is simply trying to buy time in talks to build a nuclear bomb.

Former senior Obama official, Colin Kahl
Former senior Obama official, Colin Kahl

Anyone paying attention can see this is irrational. First of all, the consensus opinion in the U.S. intelligence community is that Iran has no nuclear weapons program and has not made the political decision to build a bomb. And despite all the hype about increased enrichment, according to U.N. and Israeli intelligence, Iran has been diverting much of its medium-enriched uranium to fuel rods and medical isotopes, a process which can’t be reversed if Tehran decides to break-out at a later date.

But here are two more little factoids that seem to puncture the hawkish opinion that Iran is really out to trick the international community and build a nuclear bomb after negotiations.

Reuters reports that the IAEA, the UN nuclear watch-dog that inspects Iran’s enrichment facilities, has found that Iran has essentially halted its nuclear enrichment capacity since Hassan Rouhani was elected president. For example, in the three month period prior to Rouhani’s inauguration, Iran installed more than 1,800 new centrifuges. In the three months since Rouhani came into office, they’ve installed only four.

And Laura Rosen cites a former U.S. official that worked on Iran issues in Obama’s first term as saying the deal proposed by Iran and scuttled at the last minute by France would have doubled the time it would take for Iran to “break-out.”

A former senior Obama Administration official told the House Foreign Affairs Committee today that the deal proposed to Iran by the P5+1 countries in Geneva last weekend would “double Iran’s breakout time.”

“That means it would take Iran twice as long” to produce enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear bomb, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Colin Kahl told the committee. “That is meaningful. The deal puts firm restrictions on Iran building fuel assemblies for the Arak fuel reactor.” It would “increase the inspections regime. [It] serves US and Israeli interests.”

So as far as confidence building goes, one wonders how much more evidence the Iran hawks need. And then one remembers that he’s an idiot for asking such a question, since Iran hawks don’t care about evidence.

7 thoughts on “Here’s How We Know Iran Is Serious About a Nuclear Deal”

  1. “…since Iran hawks don’t care about evidence.”

    remember, the absence of evidence is, um, not having
    evidence. or something like that….

    you seem to suffer from the illusion that iran hawks want
    to prevent iran from getting nukes. not true. they want
    regime change.

    if they get it AND prevent nukes, it’s easier. if they
    can’t get it, they’ll make war (sanctions, stuxnet,
    assasinations) on iran, forcing them to build a nuke
    deterrent, thereby starting a real war and eventual
    regime change.

    either way, they get what they want.

    sorta like lincoln leading a nation to war to, ahem,
    free the slaves.

  2. For any deal with Iran Obama needs to stand firm facing Saudis and Israel and simply say no to either of these regime and continuing with his demand by informing them that enough is enough of apartheid regimes and tyrants cooperation against American people, those who have died and those whom are asked to die for these regimes. No more wars for Saudis nor the Israelis.

  3. Please, folks, if you truly want to stop the hawks , write their offices in Washington, District of Columbia. As a constituents, citizens of this only planet we have available to . The only way these political leaders will carry out their official duties is when you and I and the rest of us make a convincing argument. So feel free to communicate to the local political leaders, public servants, yes, these leaders are working for YOU!!! at least in theory. Yes, Pester these politicians with phone calls, letters and faxes. Our future, yes, ALL of us, depend on protecting, preserving, praying for the lives and potential futures of our as yet unborn childrens lives. AMEN? and all the saints replyed, AMEN!!!

  4. Thanks a lot because of this pleasant write-up right here, you understand in which health insurance and the health factors are very important to reside nutritious lifetime. Remember to pay a visit to southchicagoveins to read more as well as guide.

  5. Thanks a lot just for this wonderful document in this article, you already know in which health insurance and it's physical fitness items are crucial to live on wholesome living. You should check out buyusapeptides for more info and also aid.

  6. The proportions of the NSA’s unconstitutional domestic surveillance apparatus are wider and grander than almost anybody conceived prior to these disclosures. And yet, the “real story,” as Sen. Ron Wyden put it, is still being hidden from us.

  7. The proportions of the NSAa??s unconstitutional domestic surveillance apparatus are wider and grander than almost anybody conceived prior to these disclosures. And yet, the a??real story,a?? as Sen. Ron Wyden put it, is still being hidden from us.

Comments are closed.