Iran Strategy Must Balance Deterrence with Diplomacy

Posted: March 7th, 2017

By Thomas Buonomo

Thomas Buonomo is a geopolitical risk analyst with Stratas Advisors. His views are his own and do not represent and official position of Stratas Advisors.

Many U.S. policymakers have concluded that the Iranian government is an implacable enemy of the U.S. and that regime change is the only way to ultimately resolve our governments’ hostility. However, developing a strategy that balances deterrence with constructive diplomacy could lead to a new, more effective path forward in U.S.-Iranian relations.

Officially, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has precluded negotiations with the U.S. on regional issues, arguing that the U.S. has inhibited foreign investment in Iran’s economy by wavering on its commitment to the nuclear agreement, and therefore cannot be trusted. Khamenei seems not to appreciate how his rhetoric and policies — particularly his unconditional support for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and continued threats against Israel — have influenced U.S. electoral politics and the resulting consequences to investor confidence.

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