Must Read On Iran

From the FT's Daniel Dombey. This is an incredibly difficult issue, with no seemingly "good" options. In addition, here is a report from CSIS about the hypothetical scenarios that might occur if Israel were to strike Iran (which, I should note, is probably only not happening because the US won't grant flyover rights in Iraq). Basically the results are massive civilian casualties all-around, if CSIS are to be believed.

I really hope that the White House review considers very carefully the timeline with regards to this issue. The Iranian regime doesn't seem to me like a trustworthy foe at all; they have proven time and again to be deceptive and menacing con-artists. Here is my major qualm with Obama's approach,

Yet US officials recognise that the task ahead is fiendishly hard. On a trip to the Middle East last month Mrs Clinton told Arab officials she was "doubtful" that Iran would respond positively to US engagement. Even if it does, the speed of Iran's nuclear programme is likely to outstrip the pace of negotiations. Indeed, Mr Obama's approach to Iran is only the latest of a series of attempts dating back to 2003 to convince Tehran to rein in its nuclear programme - none of which has prospered.