Rapprochement between Iran and the United States: the Obstacles Revisited

Riddled with many lost opportunities, ignored offers and tentative cooperation, the trajectory of Iran-US relations in the post-Islamic Revolution era has been a bumpy one. With the election of Donald Trump as US president, a new wave of antagonism against Iran has occurred in the American politics, in this deteriorated situation of bilateral relations, the main question still remains: Is rapprochement between Iran and the United States possible? What are the obstacles that prevent rapprochement between the two countries? To reach any rapprochement the fundamental issues must be settled. Here it is tried to review these issues in order of importance and complication from the author’s point of view; mainly, the west problematic in Iran’s foreign policy, the nuclear issue, Israel and status seeking. The aim is to evaluate the possibility of the settlement of intractable problems in the bilateral relationship between Iran and the United states. It is also tried to design a path that could facilitate the settlement of intractable issues. It is concluded that to resolve the west problematic in Iran’s foreign policy, the American side should do its best efforts to show that there exists no longer a regime change toolbox against Iran. United States ought to see Iran neither as a friend not as a foe. It should be a strategic decision by the US administration to accept Iran as an important actor to work with. As moderates in Iran try to convince the whole political system that dealing with the United States is reasonable and beneficial, the aforementioned acts by US congress and administration severely weaken the Iranian side’s argument that the West problematic is manageable.