Key Points on the Iranian Nuclear Program

A Nuclear Iran: An Urgent Threat

• We are at a critical juncture in efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability. Many experts believe Iran could have such a capability by the end of this year.
  
  
• Were Iran to acquire a nuclear weapons capability, it would have devastating consequences for U.S. interests in the region and would severely set back efforts to secure an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, support for moderate Arab regimes, non-proliferation efforts and the struggle against Islamic radicalism.
  
  
• There is therefore an urgent and timely need for the United States and international community to act quickly on steps toward preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.
  
  
• The latest IAEA report detailing how Iran has stockpiled enough low enriched uranium that-with further processing-could be used to produce a nuclear weapon reinforces that sense of urgency.

The Implications of a Nuclear Iran

• A nuclear-armed Iran would fundamentally alter the strategic balance of the Middle East, a vital region key to U.S. national security interests.
  
  
• An Iran with nuclear weapons would embolden the regime to carry out its radical foreign-policy agenda by furthering its support for its terrorist allies:  Syria, Hamas and Hizballah, which are actively working to undermine U.S. peace efforts in the region, and Shiite terrorists in Iraq now killing American troops.
  
  
• By combining a nuclear weapon with its ballistic missile program-already capable of targeting American troops in the Middle East and parts of Europe-Iran would pose a serious nuclear threat to the United States and our allies.
  
  
• Such a threat would increase as Iran is able to perfect advanced ballistic missiles technology capable of striking the United States and Western Europe.
  
  
• Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons also would likely touch off a regional nuclear-arms race among other Middle Eastern countries.
  
  
• Indeed, many Arab states have expressed new interest in "peaceful" nuclear programs as Iran continues its nuclear weapons pursuit. This heightened interest in nuclear technology would likely spread beyond the Middle East.
  
  
• If Iran successfully acquires nuclear weapons despite international actions and Security Council Resolutions, it is likely to mark the death knell of the global non-proliferation regime.
  
  
• A world in which nuclear weapons have spread around the globe will be a much more dangerous place for all of us and exponentially increase the likelihood that such weapons might actually be used.
  
  
• In addition to seeking their own nuclear programs, Arab states-out of fear-would likely seek an accommodation with a nuclear Iran, rather than work to isolate the regime.  Once Iran possesses nuclear weapons, the regime could share this technology with anti-American terrorist groups to carry out attacks against U.S. interests worldwide.

The United States Can Do More to Prevent a Nuclear Iran

• The United States should use all diplomatic, political and economic steps-including direct engagement backed by the threat of tougher sanctions- to persuade Iran to turn away from its dangerous course.
  
  
• In the past, Iran has used negotiations as a way to delay sanctions while continuing to advance its nuclear program. Therefore, negotiations should not be open-ended and should have clear benchmarks in order to judge the true intentions of Iranian negotiators.
  
  
• If Iran continues to enrich uranium in defiance of repeated U.N. Security Council resolutions, the United States should increase sanctions on the regime.
  
  
• Sanctions are having an impact on Iran. Major international energy firms have backed away from large investments in Iran because of the risk of sanctions, and banks have stopped issuing letters of credit to companies seeking to do business with Iran.
  
  
• On March 11, Tehran announced that French oil company Total backed out of a major deal "because of sanctions against Iran."
  
  
• The United States has a wide array of sanctions available to increase pressure on the regime to change course, including sanctioning Iran's central bank, energy companies investing more than $20 million in Iran's energy sector, or insurance companies providing backing for Iran's refined petroleum imports.