Michael Singh is the Managing Director and Lane-Swig Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.
Articles & Testimony
The recent history of U.S. policy toward Iran shows why Washington must consistently treat its international leverage as a precious asset, not a mere political tool.
A complete argument in defense of the liberal international order requires demonstrating that this order is not merely abstract or vaguely laudable but of concrete value to the national security of the United States and its allies. This essay seeks to make that case by examining American policy toward Iran as an example of the international order in action. It draws upon my experience as director for Iran at the National Security Council from 2006 to 2007 and as the council's senior director for the Middle East from 2007 to 2008. At its best, U.S. policy toward Iran melded the unilateral exercise of American power with utilization of the norms, institutions, and relationships that make up the international order to advance a vital national security interest—namely, preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Yet it also sheds light on practical problems the international order faces and how those problems might be addressed...
