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April 19th, 2024 | 11:31 PM ET

Is the Maximum Pressure Campaign Working with Iran?

Concept american and Iran flag on cracked background
Posted: December 17th, 2019

By Norman T. Roule

Norman T. Roule is a geopolitical and energy consultant who served for 34 years in the Central Intelligence Agency, managing numerous programs relating to Iran and the Middle East. He served as the National Intelligence Manager for Iran (NIM-I) at the ODNI from 2008 until 2017. As NIM-I, he was the principal Intelligence Community (IC) official responsible for overseeing all aspects of national intelligence policy and activities related to Iran, to include IC engagement on Iran issues with senior policymakers in the National Security Council and the Department of State.

As the U.S. continues to announce new sanctions aimed at Iran, there are some signs that indicate the U.S. policy of applying maximum pressure on Iran is working.  Or is it?   

Tehran released Princeton University scholar Xiyue Wang this month after holding him for more than three years as part of a prisoner swap for an Iranian scientist held by the U.S.  It was an unusual sign of cooperation between the two nations locked in a dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. 

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Categorized as:International Iran Middle East national securityTagged with:

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