Portrait of Hillary Clinton
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Hillary Clinton on Iran

Nuclear skeptic, sanctions advocate (strong) Position evolved

TL;DR

Hillary Clinton strongly advocates for preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons through rigorous enforcement and sanctions.

Key Points

  • As Secretary of State, she worked to impose the strongest-ever international sanctions on Iran through the U.N. Security Council.

  • She stated in September 2015 that she would take necessary actions, including military action, if Iran attempted to obtain a nuclear weapon.

  • A 2008 comment where she discussed attacking Iran was made in response to a hypothetical Iranian nuclear attack on Israel.

Summary

Hillary Clinton’s core position regarding Iran centers on preventing the acquisition of a nuclear weapon, which she has stated the United States will "never allow." As Secretary of State, she was instrumental in building the international sanctions regime that the administration credited with forcing Iran to the negotiating table for the 2015 nuclear deal. She characterized this diplomatic success as laying the foundation for the deal itself, viewing it as the best path to block Iran’s nuclear ambitions while recognizing diplomacy as a balancing of risk, not a pursuit of perfection.

Her stance has involved both intense pressure and engagement, though she maintained a baseline distrust of the Iranian government, stating that any agreement would require vigorous enforcement and a commitment to "distrust and verify." Despite supporting the nuclear deal in 2015, she continued to cite military action as an option if Iran attempted to obtain a nuclear weapon. Earlier in her career, she used much stronger rhetoric, though a clip of her threatening to "attack Iran" was later shown to be taken out of context, as it was a response to a hypothetical nuclear attack by Iran on Israel.

Key Quotes

“As president,” said Sec. Clinton, “I will take whatever actions are necessary, to protect the United States and our allies. I will not hesitate to take military action if Iran attempts to obtain a nuclear weapon.”

"One by one, we persuaded energy-hungry consumers of Iranian oil like India and South Korea to cut back. Soon, Iran's tankers sat rusting in port. Its economy was collapsing."

Frequently Asked Questions

Hillary Clinton's core position is a commitment to preventing Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon. She sees diplomacy and robust international sanctions as the primary tools to achieve this goal, while maintaining military force as a credible backup option.

Her approach has evolved over time, particularly regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). While she helped lay the groundwork for the deal through sanctions, she later endorsed it with a commitment to 'distrust and verify' Iran's compliance.

Clinton has maintained that the United States will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. She affirmed that, as president, she would not hesitate to take military action if Iran attempted to obtain one, while also promising to enforce the diplomatic deal rigorously.