Americans Hawkish On Iran – Want Sanctions To Stay

Raghavan Mayur -

The majority of Americans who took part in a TIPP Poll conducted in late May believe sanctions play a key role in inducing Iran to toe the line.

  • 58% - The U.S. should maintain or increase sanctions to force Iran to renegotiate an acceptable nuclear deal
  • 31% - The U.S. should return to the original 2015 nuclear deal
  • 11% - Not sure

Americans are clear on their views regarding sanctions against Iran. However, recent developments pose a question as to how the administration views this measure.

Recent Developments - Sanctions

The U.S. administration announced the lifting of some sanctions on Iran last week. Per reports, sanctions have been lifted on several energy companies involved in shipping and trading petrochemical products and three former Iranian officials.

The government claims the easing of restrictions as “routine administrative action.”  The stalled negotiations on reviving and restoring the 2015 Iran nuclear deal are set to resume in Vienna shortly.

The State Department spokesman reiterated that the actions have “absolutely no connection” with the Vienna talks. Still, some analysts see this as “an act of good faith,” giving some impetus to bring Tehran to the negotiation table.

Testing America

Meanwhile, another troubling development caught international media attention. It is widely speculated that Iran navy ships making their way to the Atlantic may be carrying arms to Venezuela. Trump administration had warned the Maduro government to abandon plans to buy weapons from Iran.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on the matter, “I am absolutely concerned about the proliferation of weapons, any type of weapons, in our neighborhood.”

Over the past decades, Iran and Venezuela have developed relations, primarily to counter sanctions imposed on them by the U.S. However, such bilateral cooperation between American foes to seek relief from U.S. measures could threaten the country and its interests abroad.

Americans’ Response

With the sixth round of Vienna talks set to start soon, issues relating to Iran have been on the Americans’ radar.

Of the survey respondents, almost half, 45% said they closely follow the nuclear talks with Iran, with 17% of them following the issue “very closely.”

Tehran’s actions and its deepening ties with Venezuela highlight the complexity of the situation. While the administration will ponder all options and angles, TIPP Poll further probed 45% of Americans keenly interested and following the developments.