Successive administrations have failed to deter Iran's nuclear ambitions. President George Bush did little to temper Tehran.
The dilemma from the beginning has been that persuasion and soft force seem unlikely to stop any country determined to achieve nuclear capacity from proceeding down the path. Nothing has stopped North Korea. Non-proliferation did not impede Pakistan.
Clifford May, a perceptive student of geopolitical affairs, reports a glimmer of good news. Tough sanctions may be having an impact on Iran. The sanctions cannot do the job by themselves, however; President Obama missed an opportunity when he did not embrace the pro-democracy demonstrations that broke out after Iran's fraudulent elections. A nuclear Iran would not pose an existential threat to the United States, yet it would further destabilize an uncertain region. Israel would be placed in a life-or-death situation. The Iranian leaders vowing to erase Israel off the map deserve the compliment of being taken at their word.
As the U.S. and allies apply economic pressure to Iran, they also must remind the Islamist regime that Israel has the right to defend itself — and that a preemptive strike at Iran's nuclear network would receive unequivocal support.
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