Warning from Former Obama Advisor Regarding Iran

"Dennis Ross," "Ray Takeyh," and "Eric Edelman" criticized President Barack Obama's policy towards Iran in an article, stating that the U.S. President is not being "tough enough" on Iran. Dennis Ross, a former foreign policy advisor to Obama, Ray Takeyh, an Iranian-American political researcher and senior member of the Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Eric Edelman, a diplomat, authored the piece published on January 23 in Politico. The article states: "U.S. allies in the region are concerned about what they see as an 'increased Iranian influence,' believing that Iran's influence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen is facing a retreat from the U.S." It continues, "These two developments - the stalemate in nuclear talks and Iran's aggressive movements in the region - are not coincidental." Iran and the U.S. have been pursuing negotiations for a comprehensive nuclear agreement in recent months. Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress, now controlled by Republicans, is attempting to pass new sanctions against Tehran, but President Obama has warned that such congressional action would mean a failure of diplomacy and would therefore veto it. The article also mentions the decline in crude oil prices and the situation in Yemen as two focal points. The authors advise the Obama administration to quickly initiate a "political war" against Tehran and rally public opinion by focusing on Iran's human rights record and its efforts to maintain Assad's power in Syria. On the other hand, the Washington Post published an article on January 25, where Jennifer Rubin criticized the President's approach to nuclear negotiations with Iran, particularly referencing Dennis Ross's criticisms. The article notes that at a conference last week at the "Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs," Ross effectively urged the Obama administration not to insist on reaching a solution with Iran in the coming months. According to Ross, given the extraordinary flexibility of the P5+1 countries, Iranian negotiators have no urgency to reach a final agreement. Tehran should not conclude that Western countries want a final agreement more than Iran does. He believes that the U.S. cannot achieve a long-term agreement with Iran without raising the costs of Iran's non-cooperation. Ross further stated that if the Obama administration does not accept more sanctions against Iran, it could instead reach an understanding with Congress regarding the consequences of Iran violating the final agreement. Achieving this understanding would send a message to Iran to consider the clear costs of violating the agreement. The U.S. Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, was previously controlled by the Democratic Party, but now Republicans hold the majority. This new composition of Congress has increased tensions between it and President Obama's Democratic administration regarding how to deal with the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Jennifer Rubin emphasizes that Ross's remarks contain interesting suggestions, stating: "The reality is that Obama wants a final agreement more than Iran does. Obama's foreign policy is chaotic, and he fears U.S. military engagement with another Islamic country. For this reason, Iran has no fear of the U.S., and its defiance has been beneficial."