Council of Councils
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Introduction
Over the last several decades, governments have collectively pledged to slow global warming. But despite intensified diplomacy, the world is already facing the consequences of climate…
Limiting Iranian Nuclear Activities
Options and Consequences
February 17, 2011
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Overview
How much Iranian nuclear capability is too much? The simplest answer is that any amount is unacceptable. But it is far from clear that zero enrichment is a realistic goal. To help illuminate other possibilities, Michael Levi investigates the differences between various possible states of the Iranian nuclear program.
David M. Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment and Director of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies
Limiting Iranian Nuclear Activities focuses on two basic questions. First, where is the appropriate place to draw the line between "limited enrichment"—defined as a situation where the world has a credible chance of responding to an Iranian attempt to rapidly build a bomb—and "robust enrichment," which Levi defines as a situation that would leave Iran able to build a bomb without being stopped? Second, what are the different international consequences of policies that leave Iran with limited enrichment, robust enrichment, or an actual weapons capability?
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Rather than recommending specific goals or red lines for U.S. policy, the paper focuses on illuminating the range of possible outcomes in order to better guide decisions on strategy.
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