Are the Iran Sanctions Biting?

An interestingly optimistic take on negotiations with Iran, in today's Haaretz:

The nuclear program has transformed from a national rallying cry to a political hand grenade; what was once the regime's strength has become its weakness.

The price Iran is now paying for its program threatens to destabilize or even destroy the regime - the one thing the mullahs fear above all else. So while Iran's journalists busy themselves with hubris, its politicians now worry about nemesis. When Iran and the P5 +1 met last month, the talks, while yielding nothing substantial, were universally hailed as positive. Iran's chief negotiator, Saeed Jalili, uncharacteristically described the discussions as "very successful."

It was a signal. The last time the Iranians were this scared was shortly after Washington had conquered Baghdad, in mid-2003.

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David Frum

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