Tennessee Congresswoman Diane Black says there are many nuances required when dealing with Iran and its nuclear program. The Gallatin Republican visited several U.S. allies in the Middle East recently and got a glimpse of the complexities.
On the stump it’s easy for hawkish lawmakers to speak forcefully about Iran. But after talking with Iran’s neighbors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, Black says it’s not as cut and dry as one might believe. She says the consensus in the region is that the international community needs to increase economic sanctions on the county…though if the United Nations squeezes too tight Black fears it could hurt the Iranian people most and backfire on U.S. interests.
“Always where there’s an up, there’s a down. The flipside of that is if the sanctions get too tough that you start to galvanize the people that are not happy with the leadership. And for those that are not happy with the leadership we would like to see them push the leadership out.”
Black says U.S. allies in the region agree it’s unacceptable for Iran to get a nuclear weapon. For now they’re waiting to see if sanctions can compel Iran’s leaders to fall into line with international norms. But Black says if Iran refuses, a military strike will be necessary.
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