I’ve been reflecting on the reactions to the US saying it is willing to remove some of Trump’s sanctions on Iran as part of a return to the JCPOA. Some of those reactions seem to be missing a basic point: Sanctions are a US policy tool—and admins have different policies. 1/

With that in mind, let me stipulate that all of the following are true:

1. The Trump admin imposed those designations to further its max pressure strategy.

2. They also did so to make it harder for a future admin to return to the JCPOA....2/

3. Those entities designated have—and have probably long had—real connections to Iran’s support for terrorism (and will continue to). That wasn’t a new development under Trump. 3/

4. But—and this is the important part—you can believe all of that, and still conclude it is in the US interest to remove those sanctions as part of a return to the deal that rolls back Iran’s nuclear program and puts meaningful constraints on that program moving forward. 4/

The Trump admin saw these designations as part of its max pressure strategy to drain QF resources and force Iran’s capitulation (and for some, regime collapse). The premise of this strategy was always questionable, but we know the results - it didn’t work. 5/

The Biden team doesn’t have that strategy so...it sees these sanctions differently. Removing them doesn’t mean that CBI doesn’t help Iran fund terrorism, but that the value gained by removing them (blunting Iran’s program) outweighs the value of keeping them in place. 6/

Sanctions are policy tools. There are lots of sanctions the US could legally put in place, but chooses not to, for various reasons. And the US can use other policy tools to address Iran’s other malign activities. 7/

So, bottom line, let’s avoid the oversimplification. That’s it. Thanks for reading my Saturday night rant. 8/8