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Institute for the Study of War’s Chris Harmer on efforts to pressure Iran to end its nuclear program.
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So the US is not easing up on Iran in fact were planning put even more pressure on -- David Cohen the US treasury undersecretary for terrorism.
And financial intelligence says quote.
We will continue to ratchet up the pressure to make it clear to the Iranians.
That their only real choice here is to address the concerns about their nuclear program.
What US hoped to get out of -- joining me now is Chris -- senior analyst.
Institute for the study of war Chris.
We're squeezing as far as we can I mean does this statement how do thank.
-- elicits a pleasure being here thank you for having me on board no the statement doesn't make any functional difference for the purpose of sanctions is not to punish the Iranian regime.
The purpose of sanctions is to compel a change in behavior.
On the part of the Iranian regime they've known for 33 years that were not.
Happy in their march toward nuclear weapons in their support of international terror.
And the fact that they continue to take these sanctions in the faces sanctions indicates to us that they are not going to change their behavior anytime soon.
Are they slowing down or speeding up in your opinion because sometimes I worried that the more pressure we put on them the more determined -- -- That's absolutely valid worry in we've seen the Iranians have -- indicated no slowdown in any of their programs there's three specific areas.
There were concerned with first the nuclear weapons program.
Second -- international sponsorship of terror through Hezbollah and other various organizations.
Answered their specific support for the Asad regime in Syria.
-- all three of those fronts we've seen absolutely no indication that the Iranian regime is willing to back down at all.
-- What it is certain extent why they don't have a nuclear weapon yet.
I mean we begin working on it for a long time we've been hearing about it -- -- we've had the technology here in the US for a long time obviously it's all around the world.
What do you think about that.
That's a good point you know the nuclear technology is not as complicated as people think it's been seven -- -- since the US started its nuclear weapons program about 68.
67 since we actually detonator first nuclear weapon the technology is pretty straight forward in the arabians have an awful lot of scientists and engineers.
Working on the project what is clear.
Is Iranian regime has made a decision that they will develop all of the elements necessary to obtain a nuclear weapon.
They've got access to uranium that -- uranium -- -- Enrichment facilities they've got a delivery systems and work -- got all the building blocks of a nuclear weapon.
They've just decided -- we don't know yet if they have made the decision to actually weaponized nuclear weapon program.
So is are we can do to stop in the -- Economically it looks like we are just about out of bullets on the sanctions the Iranians have been under some level.
Of economic threats for 33 years and -- simply refuse to respond.
In the way we had hoped.
You know western regime -- western countries such as the US cannot exist or cannot continue with a political regime.
That simply ignores the needs of its people but the Iranian regime does.
The -- -- domestic economy is under tremendous amount of pressure.
But that does not to impacts Iranian military industrial complex at all whereas the extent that it does it's just be very marginal impact on the Iranian military industrial complex.
So that's our economic option -- are non economic option I mean it means that the way to southbound with or full funding.
Unfortunately for most of the last 25 years of the United States has tried to co exist with the -- you know -- 1988.
In a very unfortunate incident we shot down and reading Airbus at that point.
The American military really tried to.
That we would see an internal demographic change within Iran with a younger people might come to power -- realize that this a theocracy was not serving their needs.
And we saw that a glimmer of hope a couple years back with the green revolution in Iran who are unfortunately.
The Iranian regime used every -- -- at its disposal to suppress the green revolution.
A -- -- people in the streets and it just does not seem.
But there is much critical mass foray for a fall -- one Iranian revolution -- staff Chris thanks for joining us.
Thank you so much Melissa have a good evening.
