Kabuki Theater of Iran Deal Debate Comes With Costs

Kabuki Theater of Iran Deal Debate Comes With Costs
Congressmen speak together before Secretary of State John Kerry arrives to testify at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Washington, July 23, 2015 (AP photo by Andrew Harnik).

Over the next few weeks, as Congress prepares to vote on the Iran nuclear deal, the American people are going to be bombarded with arguments both for and against it. The critics will argue that the United States has given Iran carte blanche to pursue nuclear weapons and destabilize the region; the supporters will say that the deal’s opponents offer no alternative for stopping Iran’s nuclear aspirations.

The lobbying, the accusations of bad faith, the references to the Holocaust and the demonizing of critics will be intense. But here are the two dirty little secrets about the Iran deal: Congress isn’t going to stop it, and no one in Washington really wants to.

Sure, there will be a few dead-enders and warmongers who want to kill it, but by and large, nearly everyone, from the Democrats and the Republicans to the Israelis and the hardliners in Tehran, want to see this deal go through.

Keep reading for free.

Register below for instant access to the rest of this article (no credit card required). You'll also get our free newsletters and two pieces of expert analysis each month. Simply click one of the icons below to instantly login with a social account, or use your email address:
Or skip to premium access for just $12 for the first 12 weeks.
After 12 weeks you'll be charged $77 annually.