SECURITY: Obama Advisor: Iran Deal May Increase Mid-East Nuclear Proliferation

Dennis Ross, a special advisor to former US President Barack Obama during 2015 nuclear negotiations with Iran, has told the Washington Post that recent rhetoric from Iranian officials is similar to that prior to a breakthrough which led to the 2015 deal, but warned that the shape of a deal could lead to increased nuclear proliferation and greater instability in the region.

• Ross said, "...in the past few weeks, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has alluded to “heroic flexibility” and said that a deal with the West is acceptable provided it doesn’t touch the Iranian nuclear infrastructure. His rhetoric was similar in 2015, when the original Iran nuclear deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — was reached."
• However, Ross notes that US policy on Iran appears to have pivoted from prevention to containment with the US appearing to tacitly accept Iran enriching uranium to 60%.
• Ross: "Such a posture would all but guarantee nuclear proliferation across the Middle East. The Saudis have already said they will get a bomb if the Iranians have one. And Turkey and Egypt are certain to not be far behind."