“Working” in what sense?

Fareed Zakaria argues that the policy of dealing with Iran through sanctions is working. According to Zakaria, events have refuted the claim of adminisration hard-liners that “there was no conceivable way to stop Iran’s bid for regional hegemony, including its nuclear aspirations, without using military force.”
Unfortunately, Zakaria does not point to any such events. He notes that the U.N. passed a resolution, that some sanctions have been imposed, and that Iran is increasingly “isolated.” He speculates that the seizing of British sailors signals some sort of power struggle in Tehran. But he points to no evidence that Iran intends to back down from its bid for regional hegemony or its quest for nuclear weapons.
Zakaria concludes that “as long as the United States can work with other countries to contain Iran’s worst ambitions but yet accede to its legitimate ones, the situation is manageable through diplomacy and not force.” But Iran’s worst ambition is to obtain nuclear weapons, and Zakaria fails to explain why we can expect diplomacy to contain that ambition.
Via Real Clear Politics.
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