One obvious risk of a nuclear deal with Iran is that the mullahs will pocket Western concessions even as they work on their atomic capabilities in secret. That much was suggested this month by Gen. Michael Flynn, the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, who told Congress that “it is prudent to conclude that there are elements of Iran’s nuclear program that still remain hidden from view.”
But here’s a less obvious risk: The U.S. might find evidence that Iran is cheating but fail to act out of bureaucratic neglect—or a political desire to look the other way.
That’s the message of a report last month by the Government Accountability Office, which found that the State Department had failed to provide timely reports to Congress on the proliferation activities of Iran, North Korea and Syria. Instead of delivering reports every six months, as required by law, delays ranged from 22 months to three years.