Richard Nephew

Four Keys for Iran Snapback Implementation Inevitable attempts by Tehran to rebuild its nuclear and missile programs will require a U.S.-led campaign to track the regime’s proliferation activities and block transfers of related materials.

New from @richardmnephew.bsky.social: "The United States and its partners should look carefully at the UN Security Council resolutions and identify similar ways to harness their measures toward preventing Iran from reconstituting its nuclear and missile programs."

The elimination of USAID is a moral atrocity and all involved made a choice to enable, and then lie about, ending the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

It would be nice if Treasury were to explain why rather than just sneak it into a designation announcement on the Sinaloa cartel. Yeah, we see what you're doing there.

Treasury removed sanctions on former president of Paraguay Cartes yesterday without an explanation.

I guess I can say that I'm not surprised, just disappointed.

Cartes was corrupt and is a corrupting influence in Paraguay. Removal of these sanctions doesn't change that.

Worth noting: the modality may be a little baroque, but the sanctionability of all of this is absolutely clear under US law and has been for over a decade.

Exclusive | How China Secretly Pays Iran for Oil and Avoids U.S. Sanctions A hidden funding conduit has deepened economic ties between the two U.S. rivals in defiance of Washington’s efforts to isolate Tehran.

Important story: U.S. sanctions make it nearly impossible to pay Iran for its oil. China has figured out how to do it anyway, in an arrangement that has largely been secret.

www.wsj.com/world/middle...

A very interesting experience. Thanks for folks who participated. Hope you found it interesting too.

It's a vital moment for the challenge presented by Iran's nuclear program -- so I'm trying something new. Swing by and ask me anything on @Reddit today at 3:30PM ET. Thanks to the @Reddit team & moderators at r/IAmA for helping to organize. www.reddit.com/r/AMA/commen...

Don't sleep on the issues of corruption...corruption is an enabler of crime that debilitates government and poisons society. And people HATE corruption so it may also have some potency in public messaging.

Absolutely.

I don't know, the distraction opportunities are tremendous.

The other thing, of course, is that they're also deep-sixing the credibility and integrity of the UNSC with this. That may suit the Russians right now but it does betray a lack of foresight. One day, they may want the UNSC's decisions to be seen as weighty. This argument won't help.

Opinion | Snapback Sanctions Hit Iran Actually enforcing them will require hard work by Western politicians, diplomats and experts.

Re-upping this too: www.wsj.com/opinion/snap...

Back to Basics: Iran Sanctions After the June 2025 Conflict - Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA | CGEP % Get the latest as our experts share their insights on global energy policy.

Re-upping in light of snapback

www.energypolicy.columbia.edu/back-to-basi...

Vote on UNSCR 2231 extension:
4 in favor
9 against
2 abstentions

Snapback is happening. All pre-JCPOA UN sanctions on Iran will be reinstated at 00:00 GMT tomorrow.

I know a little something about military spending. I'd be shocked if this stunt didn't cost the taxpayer millions of dollars.

So much for "government efficiency."

Scoop: Iran offers 'immediate' IAEA access to bombed Natanz nuclear site if Europe backs Russian 'snapback' extension In a major climbdown geared to avert the reimposition of UN sanctions, Iran has offered to immediately open the Natanz uranium enrichment to foreign inspectors, Amwaj.media has learned. The undergroun...

No deal. First of all, this isn't the only access required. Second, the CSA attaches to all safeguarded material, not just Natanz. Third, accepting the conditioning of CSA obligations generally is a mistake. Iran signed the safeguards agreement. It should fulfill it.

amwaj.media/en/article/i...

Fellow American citizens and public workers, pursuing a "noble calling" -- www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3by... -- treated like this. Despicable and unforgivable.

These are all good questions but I'll add two more:

1) If he's convinced Ukraine can win (as I am), then will he put his back into supporting Ukraine? This sounds like not.

2) Is he aware that we are part of NATO?

[Goes back in time to say to wife, "dear, you need to tough it out a little" when pregnant with three children.

Returns to this timeline with, somehow, three black eyes.]

Yeah, maybe let's listen to the doctors instead on this one.

There are more than enough ideas. What we lack is the political will and leadership.

Don't believe people when they say there aren't ideas that we can try to put more pressure on Moscow and Putin.

fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/...

Pleasure doing this with Matt and thanks to @francoisdm.bsky.social and @thebulletin.org for putting it out.

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This @washingtonpost.com editorial doesn’t make it past the second paragraph without a glaring (and telling) factual error.

President Washington didn’t create the War Department in 1789; *Congress* did:

www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...

Strengthening Efforts to Protect U.S. Nationals from Wrongful Detention Abroad By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Robert Levinson Hostage

I will give credit when due: this is a good idea. It probably won't stop such detentions from happening, but it can/should/ought be part of the package.

Strengthening Efforts to Protect U.S. Nationals from Wrongful Detention Abroad www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...