What Assad's Gains in Deir ez-Zor Mean for Syria & What's Next for the Iran Deal

Matthew RJ Brodsky joins Denise Wood on i24News "Perspectives" to discuss the significance of Assad's victories in Deir ez-Zor, what Russia's future involvement in Syria would likely encompass, and what future negotiations between the stakeholders would look like.

They also discuss UN Ambassador Nikki Haley's powerful speech on Iran and what it may portend for the future of the nuclear agreement. Brodsky explains how the four conditions the U.S. uses to examine Iran's compliance are different than those used by the international community. A non-certification in October by President Trump would kick the matter over to Congress for a 60-day review and decision on a U.S. response. It is doubtful that the U.S. will remain tied to the deal in the long term given Iran's record of cheating. He also shines a light on the gaping hole in what the IAEA knows -- something that was purposefully designed by the Obama administration in 2015 -- and how it colors any report they offer. They simply don't know what they don't know and the nuclear issue is far more than a question of enrichment. It involves the weaponization research and development aspects as can be readily seen with North Korea working on their ICBM program.

Finally, they discuss the implications of U.S. decisions on Iran for the North Korean problem going forward where Brodsky describes how they are a charter member of the Axis of Middle East proliferation. Beyond the constant work on nuclear science and technology between North Korea and Iran, he provides a reminder that it is the 10-year anniversary of when Israel undertook a daring raid that destroyed the secret plutonium reactor Syria not far from where Assad broke the siege today. It was built by North Korea as an exact replica of their own facility in Yongbyon. The three-way cooperation will continue unless U.S. policy shifts to address these issues.