Would Harris Follow Obama and Biden in Engaging with Iran?

In 2023, the greatest exemplar of the Realist school of diplomacy, Henry Kissinger, died. Though many have criticized him for his perceived amoral diplomacy, he was always clearheaded about his goals and the means for achieving them. The history of our relations with Iran under Presidents Obama and Biden has been to let wishes and dreams stand in for realistic goals. Ironically, they may have been inspired by Kissinger: If Nixon could go to China, the thinking may have been, then Obama could go to Iran.

Iran has been a bone in the throat of American presidents since Jimmy Carter and the hostage crisis. Iran under the mullahs is a threat that we can’t ignore or solve. We have tried approaches from cajoling outreach on mutual interests to quasi-wars. But no matter our approach, the mullahs remained in charge of Iran, still the sworn enemies of the U.S.

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Brian Penn

Brian Penn is a former State Department officer.

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In 2023, the greatest exemplar of the Realist school of diplomacy, Henry Kissinger, died. Though many have criticized him for his perceived amoral diplomacy, he was always clearheaded about his goals and the means for achieving them. The history of our relations with Iran under Presidents Obama and Biden has been to let wishes and dreams stand in for realistic goals. Ironically, they may have been inspired by Kissinger: If Nixon could go to China, the thinking may have been, then Obama could go to Iran.

Iran has been a bone in the throat of American presidents since Jimmy Carter and the hostage crisis. Iran under the mullahs is a threat that we can’t ignore or solve. We have tried approaches from cajoling outreach on mutual interests to quasi-wars. But no matter our approach, the mullahs remained in charge of Iran, still the sworn enemies of the U.S.