The past six U.S. presidents have employed a policy of sanctions, containment and deterrence against Iran. Earlier in his tenure, President Barack Obama tried to change course by offering instead to engage, stressing “diplomacy without preconditions.” Two years later, however, the talk in Washington is of an inevitable coming war.
“How the U.S.-Iran Standoff Looks From Iran,” Bloomberg View, February 16, 2012.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, two major schools of thought have influenced Iran’s foreign policy toward the United States. The first maintains that Iran and the United States can reach a compromise based on mutual respect, noninterference in domestic affairs, and the advancement of shared interests.
“How to Engage Iran,” Foreign Affairs, February 9, 2012.
In his first year in office, President Barack Obama made unprecedented diplomatic gestures towards Iran, raising hopes that the animosities that have plagued US-Iran relations for the past three decades might be overcome and rapprochement achieved.
“Rules for Successful Engagement with Iran”, Hossein Mousavian, Atlantic Council, August 30, 2011.
