How the Biden administration botched America’s sanctions against Iran
With the financial deterrent undermined, only military deterrence is left
A fortnight ago Iran aimed more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. Now Israel will respond, and the world is holding its breath. What it does next, and how Iran reacts, will determine whether the Middle East is engulfed by all-out conflict. For America the question is how to encourage restraint from Israel, limit escalation, curb Iran’s baleful influence and deter it from choosing to build a nuclear weapon. Unfortunately, as our investigation this week shows, the Biden administration has undermined one of America’s main tools.
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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Sanctions, squandered ”
From the October 19th 2024 edition
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