Open to Debate BONUS RELEASE: Can America and Its Allies Tolerate A Nuclear Iran, or Is It Time to Stop Them Now?
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Jun 13, 2025 
In this thought-provoking discussion, Behnam Ben Taleblu, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and Barbara Slavin, a Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center, tackle the urgent issue of Iran's nuclear ambitions. They debate the consequences of a potentially nuclear-armed Iran, weighing the risks of military action against diplomatic options. The conversation highlights the geopolitical fallout for the U.S. and its allies, exploring the historical context, strategies for engagement, and the implications for regional stability.
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Diplomacy Over Military Strikes
- Bombing Iran would have unpredictable, harmful consequences including retaliation and likely acceleration of their nuclear program.
- Diplomacy offers a better path to controlling Iran's nuclear ambitions than military strikes.
Iran's Nuclear Threat Multiplication
- Allowing Iran nuclear weapons would embolden it to escalate terrorism and regional aggression.
- Iran's history of chemical weapons use shows its readiness to use weapons of mass destruction.
Iran vs North Korea Nuclear Dynamics
- North Korea nuclearization differs as it is isolated and smaller, posing less threat to U.S. interests.
- Iran poses a bigger threat regionally and politically despite some parallels to North Korea's nuclear path.