There had been a very good discussion of sanctions and the coronavirus in Iran and other contexts. It’s impressed me how quickly the discussion has moved from expert channels to a broad Democratic Party policy consensus in at least some degree of relief. https://carnegieendowment.org/2020/04/08/coercion-in-time-of-coronavirus-pub-81495

I tried to tease out several threads to the argument: mechanisms through which sanctions and other forms of coercive diplomacy might impede #COVID19 responses and the various policy options the US has to address them.

I also thought through the longer term implications of how the US response — or lack thereof — might influence our future ability to apply effective sanctions.

Bottom line to all of this: priorities, priorities, priorities. What Bill Burns calls strategic discipline and strategic empathy. A worldwide pandemic is incomparably more important than our conflict with a regional power like Iran.

Continuing to get this wrong will cost us.