Maximum Pressure: Inevitable Conflict with Iran or a Calmer Middle East?

Hudson Institute hosted an event to discuss the ramifications of President Trump’s policy towards Iran. Panelists included Hudson Institute’s Michael Doran and Rebeccah Heinrichs, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Jay Solomon, and the Council on Foreign Relations’ Ray Takeyh. The conversation was moderated by Hudson Senior Fellow Lee Smith.

From his decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal to the subsequent re-imposition of major sanctions on the Islamic Republic, President Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran is shaping the debate, both at home and in the region, as to what comes next. Defenders of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) warn that the Trump White House is leading the U.S. to war with Iran. Others contend that the campaign will force the Iranians back to the negotiating table, where the U.S. and its partners could resolve issues ignored by the JCPOA, such as ballistic missiles, Iran’s expansionist policies, and continued support for terrorism. Will the Trump administration be able to extinguish the fires Iran has set throughout the Middle East or will “maximum pressure” lead to an unavoidable clash?