The United States and Iran have held multiple rounds of indirect talks this year and taken various steps to lower tensions and keep the prospect of an eventual nuclear agreement alive. Yet Tehran has also continued to engage in destabilizing behavior, from providing weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine and cracking down on civilians at home to seizing commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and continuing to produce high-enriched uranium. Such actions underscore doubts about Iran’s commitment to de-escalation.

On October 18, a series of deadlines will place the tensions in Western policy toward Iran in sharp relief. Although Washington and Tehran no longer adhere to the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, some of its elements have continued on autopilot, including the scheduled expiration of some measures in less than three months. With full sanctions “snapback” likely off the table, the European Union and Britain should take other steps to ensure Iran does not benefit from unjustified sanctions relief.

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Read the full article on the Washington Institute for Near East Policy website.