Is There a Diplomatic Path for Iran’s Nuclear Program? An Interview with Richard Nephew

Iran’s nuclear program has long been a source of international tension. Early in U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, hopes for a diplomatic resolution resurfaced—until June, when Israel launched strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites. Days later, the United States joined the conflict, bombing three sites within Iran. Iran retaliated with missile attacks in Israel and a U.S. base in Qatar, and suspended cooperation with nuclear inspectors.

With both Washington and Tehran signaling interest in returning to talks despite the violence, what are the prospects for diplomacy now? To discuss where things stand and what a path forward might look like, Just Security’s co-editor-in-chief Tess Bridgeman is joined by Richard Nephew, a leading expert on Iran’s nuclear program and former Deputy Special Envoy for Iran.

Show Notes: 

• Just Security’s Israel-Iran Conflict Collection
• Richard Nephew’s “Did the Attacks on Iran Succeed?” in Foreign Affairs 
• Kelsey Davenport’s “Israeli Strikes Risk Driving Iran Toward Nuclear Weapons” in Just Security
• Brianna Rosen, Tess Bridgeman, and Nima Gerami’s “The Day After U.S. Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Program: A Policy and Legal Assessment” in Just Security
• Brianna Rosen’s “Intelligence Implications of the Shifting Iran Strike Narrative” in Just Security
• Brian O’Neill’s “What Counts as a Win?: Battle Damage Assessments and Public Messaging” in Just Security
• Brian Finucane’s “The Need for a Congressional Rebuttal on Trump’s Iran Attack” in Just Security
• James Acton’s “Guest Post: Sorry, Mr. Secretary, producing uranium metal isn’t particularly difficult” in Arms Control Wonk