Iran

Amid the proliferation of red lines, the important ones are at risk of being opaque or even unintelligible in Tehran.

“We are approaching a point where…the international community will no longer have any realistic option to veto an Iranian decision to build nuclear weapons.”

There has long been a consensus among Western pundits that the IRGC controls Iran’s economy. The truth is much messier.

Some argue that Iran could follow N. Korea’s nuclear path. Actually, Pyongyang’s experience may deter Tehran from building a bomb.

This week’s P5+1-Iran meeting was highly encouraging but the long shadow of the past looms large.

Iran and the P5+1 powers have scheduled talks. Now the hard part begins.

Despite the recent success of the Iron Dome defense system against Hamas, Iranian missiles would prove a much tougher challenge.

The fact that both sides kept Iran’s attack on a U.S. drone quiet until after the American election could signal hope towards compromise.

From cyberstrikes, assassinations, and drone surveillance, Iran seems to copying Western tactics. Retaliation, not escalation, is Tehran’s goal.

While both sides have already denied it, talks could be a first step towards compromise. The road to negotiations though could be a long one.

The conference for a nuclear weapons free zone in the Middle East offers a unique opportunity for the P5+1 and Iran to build mutual trust.

Hezbollah, through direct strikes or terrorism, could complicate Israel’s decision to attack Iran and spark an even greater regional crisis.