World Affairs TODAY Season 8 Episode 3 - Matthew Kroenig

At a time when the power and fear of nuclear weapons was fading from public opinion, Iran’s nuclear program continued to be viewed as an international security threat. Responding to this threat in November of 2013, Iran and six major powers, the P-5+1, which includes the US, signed a nuclear agreement, the Geneva interim agreement. Iran agreed it would scale back certain nuclear programs in exchange for the removal of some international economic sanctions. This appears to be the latest chapter in a decade-long effort to bring Iran’s nuclear program under international regulation. Matthew Kroenig, Associate Professor and International Relations Field Chair at Georgetown University, argues that the time to take action – diplomatic and, if necessary, military – is now. In his book, “A Time to Attack: The Looming Iranian Nuclear Threat,” Dr. Kroenig gives a historical account of Iran’s nuclear program and the resulting global responses, in addition to what Iranian nuclear power would mean for the world in the near and distant future.

[giterdun]

In his book, Kroenig completely omits Russian strategic or military interests, let alone capabilities, with regard to Iran, and specifically regarding any Western attack on Iran.  Relatedly, he discounts Chinese strategic & military interests in Iran and the Persian Gulf, essentially stating that a Chinese response would be next to nothing under a US attack scenario.  Well, as of this week, "two Chinese warships have docked at Iran’s principal naval port for the first time in history", per the NYTimes, to conduct 4 days of joint naval exercises.  Most likely in response to, well, blathering nonsense published by the likes of Kroenig, with a CFR sanction, no less.  Thus, Kroenig's work serves as a testament to the dearth of valued strategic thinking on Iran, either in the Council on Foreign Relations or anywhere else in the Atlanticist intellectual sphere.