All Options on the Table?
On this point President Obama has been emphatic: Iran will not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon on his watch. "There should be no doubt," said the president in 2010, that "the United States and the international community are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons." All options, we're frequently told, are on the table. But are they? Despite the rhetoric, despite the imposition of punishing sanctions which have, by most accounts, dealt a harsh blow to the Iranian economy, the centrifuges continue to spin. Iran's election of a new, "moderate" president in Hassan Rouhani has rekindled some hopes for a diplomatic settlement, but the clock continues to tick. If push comes to shove, would President Obama be willing to reach for the option of last resort and order military strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities? RealClearWorld put the question to several Mideast experts. Here's what they told us. BEGIN LIST (AP Photo)
