To Deter Iran, Give Israel a Big Bomb
The best way to ensure Tehran doesn’t gain the capability to make a nuclear weapon is for the U.S. to empower its ally.
Leasing a B-2 would send a clear message.
Photographer: Cherie A. Thurlby/U.S. Air Force/Getty Images
With negotiations paused until a new hardline administration takes office in Tehran, the chances of reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal anytime soon are not bright. Moreover, even successful talks might not stop Iran’s leaders from pursuing nuclear weapons. The Biden administration needs to find a better way to deter them.
It’s still possible, perhaps even likely, that the desire for sanctions relief will prompt the Iranians to rejoin the deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, once they conclude the U.S. will make no further concessions. That would roll back some of Iran’s recent advances, including its enrichment of uranium to 60% purity and its production of uranium metal, used in nuclear warheads.