Can a nuclear Iran be deterred?

There is a growing interest among U.S. foreign policy officials and scholars in deterring Iran; that is, in tolerating a nuclear armed Iran but keeping it at bay by threatening it in kind should it use its nuclear weapons. Although the Obama administration has not embraced this position, some observers believe this is the direction it is headed.

One indication comes from Thomas Donilon, the national security adviser. In a speech late last year, he remarked, "We will continue to build a regional defense architecture that prevents Iran from threatening its neighbors. We will continue to deepen Iran's isolation, regionally and globally."

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Comments

[Greg Leonard]

Can a nuclear Iran be deterred? Can a nuclear Israel be deterred. Why bother with deep thinking of that sort when the standardized means of framing inquiry are so much more popular.