by Matthew J. Geiger

Created on: March 21, 2008

Because of the war in Iraq, Iran has come to be at the heart of stabilizing and ending the violence in Iraq. Currently, Iran continues to support Al Qaeda forces in Iraq while a stable Iraq also remains a key component to the national security of Iran. Moreover, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who largely lacks true power in the Iranian government as the supreme leader is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has made a career out of taunting the United States. Moreover, Iran continues to push hard for nuclear technology against the wishes of the international body. Furthermore, only recently has the United States ended its longtime ban of meeting with Iranian officials. In light of this event and the war in Iraq, the United States must find a way to jump start diplomatic relations with Iran.

With the United States militarily bogged down in Iraq, Iran sees an opportunity to embolden its standing in the internal community with limited fear of US military reprisal. By pursuing nuclear technology, supporting Al Qaeda in Iraq, and questioning the occurrence of the Holocaust, Iranians, like President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, are defying the will of the West. In doing so, Iran is trying to empower its standing among Islamic nations while attempting to force the West to respect the Middle East. As such, Western nations, like the United States, are left with few options, including the decision to legitimize Iran's behavior by engaging in normal diplomatic relations or place additional economic sanction in an attempt to isolate Iran.

On the other hand, an option that espouses the most beneficial aspects of each policy is best. While the US and UN punish Iran through various measures, like economic sanctions, and direct political pressure at its leaders, the international community must also reach out to components of the Iranian government that are not radically anti-American, anti-Western to provide options to Iran that help us reach a resolution to the conflict. Iran's poor international behavior exists for a reason and, as the cohesion of the world community depends upon stability, talking with nations, like Iran, is necessary to understand what drives the conflict between the West and Middle East and to comprehend what infractions the West has committed against the Middle East and vice versa while it lets the Iranians know the West is willing to listen and seek out resolutions to our conflicts.

Beyond government, the Iranian people need to understand Americans are not their enemy and this can only be done by introducing them to the positive aspects of the American culture. Furthermore, although a destabilized, failed Iraq state would be bad for Iran, a strong, mobile United States is also seen as a threat, and so, from the Iranian's perspective, keeping the US in Iraq to weaken American military power is a benefit. On the other hand, convincing Iran that the United States is not necessary a military threat and a failed Iraq is by far a greater, more realistic threat, diplomatic relations can help lead to a resolution. Above all, talking to Iran to deal with the nuclear conflict and the Iraq conflict is not rewarding their bad behavior; it is giving them an opportunity to find an opening to start building a resolution.

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