Iran

The way the Trump administration is moving forward [with its Iran policy] is just so hostile to all aspects of Iran that it’s unlikely to produce any traction with the Iranian people or to encourage divisions within the system.

The intent of [any U.S. action] to do with the IRGC is basically to cast a very broad shadow over sectors of the Iranian economy and exacerbate the compliance nightmare for foreign businesses that may be considering trade and investment with Iran.

To the extent the rest of the world is watching this soap opera [regarding Iran] play out in Washington… it really does telegraph how limited our influence is going to be on key issues like this in the future.

The longevity of the [Iran nuclear] deal comes into question if the United States is taking specific actions to undermine it, even decertification.

[Decertification of the nuclear deal] only confirms Iran’s deep-seated distrust of American intentions and will almost certainly encourage and expedite the inevitable process of Iranian testing of the boundaries of its own adherence to the JCPOA... [W]e can expect intensified frictions across the board with Iran, that may play out in unpredictable and potentially uncontrollable fashion.