Should the U.S. Policy Towards Iran Change
Abstract
The United States (U.S.) has not evolved its foreign policy with Iran since President Bush outlined that Tehran was one of the Axis of evil in January, 2002. The Bush administration is currently working through the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to engage with Iran to broker a strategy that deters Iran from building nuclear weapons. Even though the U.S. is communicating with the EU their governments believe that without direct U.S. involvement they will not have enough credibility to force the Iranian clerics to halt their nuclear weapons program. History has shown that Iran is not willing to make any concessions without the U.S. offering significant incentives or without a credible threat by the Europeans to impose tough multilateral economic sanctions should negotiations fail. The U.S. cannot solely rely on European diplomacy; it will require U.S. leadership, in partnership with the international community to ensure appropriate respect for the diplomatic teams when they negotiate with Iran. The Bush administration will need to develop a multinational approach to negotiations and establish direct diplomatic relations with Iran to insure the stability of the Middle East.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 18, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA432532
Entities
People
- Daniel J. Gallagher
Organizations
- United States Army War College