United States-Iran Policy: From Dual Containment to Constructive Conditional Engagement

摘要

The United States should change its Iran policy from 'Dual Containment' to what we term 'Constructive Conditional Engagement' in keeping with U.S. core values, to foster cooperation in order to achieve U.S. regional security interests. 'Dual Containment' does not to achieve U.S. regional interests in the Middle East. Politically and economically, it demonstrates the limits of coercive diplomacy in the absence of a dialogue with Iran. 'Dual Containment' is counter-productive in terms of our preference for a tiered collective security arrangement in the Persian Gulf. Our Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) partners disagree with our assessment of the Iranian threat and actively seek to improve their bilaternl relationships with Iran. 'Dual Containment' is no more successful with our European and Asian partners who refuse to participate in U.S. economic sanctions on Iran. 'Dual Containment' is even less potent given the path effects of the ethically checkered history of U. S. - Iran relations. Our shared history has been inimical to the evolution and sustainment of cooperation between the two countries.