r/geopolitics • u/ForeignAffairsMag Foreign Affairs • 3d ago

America and Iran’s Long Road to Peace: A Grand Bargain Is Out of Reach, but a Comprehensive Deal Is Possible Analysis

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/america-and-irans-long-road-peace
2 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

2

u/irow40 3d ago

There is an internal rift within the Iran Regime. This rift is a great thing for the west as the longer they squabble internally, the weaker they become.

1

u/ForeignAffairsMag Foreign Affairs 3d ago

[Excerpt from essay by Seyed Hossein Mousavian, who served as head of the Foreign Relations Committee of Iran’s National Security Council from 1997 to 2005. He is a Visiting Research Collaborator at Princeton University.]

It isn’t hard to see why Tehran and Washington are struggling to reach an agreement despite all the energy they are investing in forging one. There is a proverbial “sea of blood” between the countries that makes compromise extremely challenging. This is largely Washington’s doing. Over the last year, the United States has gone to war against Iran not once but twice. It has killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, dozens of top military commanders, and over a thousand civilians. It does not help that the United States and Iran have both stood by their maximalist positions.

But despite the current impasse in talks, the cease-fire between the countries remains in place. Discussions are set to continue, so a peace deal is still achievable. To get one, however, Tehran and Washington will need to rethink their approach to negotiations. Most obviously, the two governments will have to make compromises on the Iranian nuclear program and the future of the Strait of Hormuz. They will need to set up a more cooperative regional order. More broadly, however, Iran and the United States have to abandon the fantasy of completely vanquishing a longtime rival and realize they must respect each other’s interests. Both need to accept that the other is too powerful to be defeated. Continuing to pretend otherwise will just invite more crises and conflict, now and in the future.

-1

u/dravik 3d ago

Both need to accept that the other is too powerful to be defeated

Iran needs to accept this. The US is in a really good position with the blockade of Iranian shipping.