Tensions continue to rise in the Middle East as Iran prepares to move forward with their nuclear program.
Speaking with Fox News’ Jenna Lee, Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Mark Dubowitz outlined the complex situation in Iran.
Dubowitz explained that the sanctions we are currently imposing on Iran are crippling them. Their inflation rate and unemployment rate are increasing, while their oil revenue is decreasing. The Iranian regime now finds itself in financial woes. It is interesting to note that the Iranian regime currently has $80 billion sitting in overseas bank accounts. This money could be used to buy food and medicine for its people and provide them with aid without any restrictions, but the Iranian regime is not spending that money. Rouhani has left his people without provisions.
The sanctions have not yet impeded Iran’s nuclear program, but they have forced Iran to seriously consider the sanctions. The only reason that Rouhani and Khomeni are now interested in negotiations is for the sake of the sanctions. The sanctions are ultimately hurting the Iranian economy and "putting the regime’s survival at some risk," thus the reason they are just now willing to enter into talks- they understand the gravity of the situation and that the sanctions could impose even more detrimental effects than they are seeing now.
Dubowitz warned that a decision is imminent because in less than ten months, by June 2014, "Iran will be at the point where they will be able to break out to a nuclear weapon without being detected by the IAEA or Western intelligence." This essentially means that the regime could "break out at bomb at a time of their choosing, or they could flip the leverage on the international community, negotiate for massive sanctions relief and oil flowing, economy stabilized." An Iranian regime equipped with nuclear weapons and a strong economy poses a huge security threat to the United States.