[RACooper]

There needs to be more "soft" pressure not "hard" pressure brought to bear on Iran. If a "hard" sollution is used (military) it may provoke exactly what you want to avoid... it may strngthen the power base and resolve of the hard-liners and radicals.

Of course for "soft" (politcal, economic) measures to succed or be effective the threat of "harder" measures must be in the distant background.

Their are forces in the country that want change and a more secular government and society, but there is a danger of alienating these forces if the carrot is taken away and the stick is used.... after all the international community has been trying to bring Iran into the fold for a long while, and signifcant changes have been made, it would be a shame to waste the efforts over the last twenty-five odd years.