The Maximum Pressure Campaign Against Iran Is Working
Topics: Politics, World
Public Release Date: March 04, 2020
The targeted killing of General Qassim Suleimani, one of Iran’s most prominent military leaders, sent shockwaves around the world. The strike came more than a year after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA and launched a series of punishing economic sanctions that have drastically reduced Iran's oil exports and crippled its economy.
The administration’s defenders argue that this "maximum pressure" campaign is necessary to protect American interests, quell Tehran’s human rights abuses, and halt Iran's support of terrorist networks across the region. But opponents see maximum pressure as dangerously misguided. They contend that abandoning the JCPOA – a historic diplomatic achievement – increases the risk of war and undermines key allies. Further, critics say, economic sanctions target civilians and fuel anti-American sentiment in Iran and beyond. Is the maximum pressure campaign against Iran working?
ARGUING YES:
Victor Davis Hanson: Military Historian & Author, “The Case for Trump”
H. R. McMaster: Retired Lieutenant General, U.S. Army & Former National Security Advisor
ARGUING NO:
Martha Crenshaw: Terrorism Studies Expert & Author, “Explaining Terrorism”
Abbas Milani: Iranian Studies Program Director, Stanford University
MODERATOR-IN-CHIEF:
John Donvan: Emmy award-winning journalist