Iran : Time for a new approach

Twenty-five years after its Islamic revolution, Iran represents a challenge and an opportunity for the United States. The issues at stake reflect the urgent and multifaceted dilemmas of U.S. security in the post-9/11 era: nuclear proliferation, state support of terrorism, the relationship between religion and politics, and the imperative of political and economic reform in the Middle East. At this time, as Iraq-Iran's neighbour and historic adversary-embarks on a difficult transition to post-conflict sovereignty, and as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)extends its scrutiny of Iranian nuclear activities, Iran looms large on the U.S policy agenda. Recognizing this relevance to vital U.S. interests, the Task Force advocates selectively engaging with Iran to address critical U.S. concerns. The Task Force centered its deliberations on Iran's domestic situation and overall foreign policy, in order to illuminate the context for U.S. policy. It did so in the recognition that the long absence of U.S relations with Iran and Washington's limited ongoing contact with the country mean that any assessment of the internal dynamics of the Islamic Republic is inevitably imperfect. Nevertheless, it is the view of this Task Force that despite considerable political flux and popular dissatisfaction, Iran is not on the verge of another revolution. Those forces that are committed to preserving Iran's current system remain firmly in control and currently represent the country's only authoritative interlocutors. Direct U.S efforts to over-throw the Iranian regime are therefore not likely to succeed; nor would regime change through external intervention necessarily resolve the most critical concerns with respect to Iran's policies. The ferment of recent years demonstrates that the Iranian people themselves will eventually change the nature of their government for the better.