An article published in the Washington Post by Juan Zarate and Chip Poncy highlights that the U.S. needs to be fully aware of the risks surrounding the nuclear deal with the regime in Iran if it is adopted and warns: “These risks should not be accepted as an unavoidable cost of the deal.”
One major risk is that the regime will end up with access to greater financial resources – billions of dollars – that will likely fund terrorist activities outside Iran.
Another threat is the proliferation risk that will unlikely decrease because of the deal’s “allowance for a nuclear infrastructure and research.” What is almost certain to happen is that the proliferation threat will increase considering Iran’s relationship with Syria and North Korea.
The article also highlighted that the regime, with its newfound economic control, is unlikely to improve the human rights situation and will “brutally suppress internal opposition”.
The writers of the article suggested that the U.S. must tackle Iran’s “rogue activity” with “financial power”. They said that an economic constriction campaign focusing on the regime’s terrorist and nuclear involvement should be implemented.
The economic constriction campaign should “tighten export-control enforcement, interdictions and financial restrictions” and should target the assets of anyone involved in extreme human-rights violations.
The Washington Post article questioned whether this would be possible and stated that it “should be” for the simple reason that it will preserve a “key element of U.S. leverage against Iran.” If diplomats claim that this strategy would weaken the deal, it is clear that the U.S. will have lost the chance to use economic power to stave off the regime’s rogue activities.
“We should not wait to find out — or to address the known risks from Iran that are already upon us.” It is clear that the U.S. and the West need to keep their eyes open to the inevitable risks of dealing with a regime that would be unrestrained financially.
Juan Zarate was the first-ever assistant treasury secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, deputy assistant to President George W. Bush and deputy national security adviser for combating terrorism. Chip Poncy served as the strategic policy director for Treasury’s office of terrorism and financial intelligence in the Bush and Obama administrations and led the U.S. delegation to the Financial Action Task Force (2010-2013).
