President Obama addressed the issue of Iran and nuclear proliferation last week at the U.N. General Assembly.
He expressed hope that he could use diplomacy to bridge differences between the two countries.
He also got Russia on board with imposing sanctions on Iran if they do not follow UN orders.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues to deny that the country is developing nuclear materials for military weapons.
Last week, a new nuclear facility was discovered by international inspectors.
The Daily Tar Heel talked to Carl Ernst, the director of Middle East studies at UNC and an expert on the region,about the implications of recent developments with Iran.
Previous sanctions on Iran have had little impact. The U.S. has an embargo on most Iranian products and has added more restrictions on financial institutions, Ernst said.
However, now that Russia has agreed to consider sanctions, Iran might feel the effect, he said.
Additionally, diplomatic efforts will improve relations between Iran and the U.S. and promote negotiations, Ernst said.
“It will be harder for Ahmadinejad to continue his defiant position if the U.S. is holding a calm and diplomatic channel of communication,” he said.
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