London, 26 Aug – As the US Congress reviews the Iran nuclear deal, it faces the hardest choice in foreign affairs: whether to threaten or appease an adversary. The proper choice, scholars agree, depends on the rival’s intent, Prof. Alan J. Kuperman wrote on Tuesday in The Hill.

“If the other country is ‘status quo’ – just wants to be left alone to prosper without dominating other countries or flouting international rules – we should concede its limited demands. Appeasement is not a dirty word in such a case, but the ideal foreign policy. However, if the other country is ‘revisionist’ – seeking to dominate others and overturn the global order – we must deter it through coercion including the threat of force”, he wrote.

London, 20 Aug – The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) indicated on Thursday that it has nearly finished examining Tehran’s landmark nuclear deal with world powers but will announce no conclusion before the U.S. Congress does.

The SNSC and the Majlis (Parliament) are both perusing the text of the July 14 pact mandating Iran to curb its nuclear work in exchange for a removal of sanctions, mirroring Congress which has the right to approve or reject it in a vote to be taken by Sept. 17.

The Associated Press
By GEORGE JAHN

VIENNA (AP) — Iran will be allowed to use its own inspectors to investigate a site it has been accused of using to develop nuclear arms, operating under a secret agreement with the U.N. agency that normally carries out such work, according to a document seen by The Associated Press.