Is it time for a U.S. diplomatic presence in Iran?
Officials in the State Department are now considering whether to open a U.S. Interests Office in Iran. The proposal, which has been discussed on and off again for years, comes almost three decades after the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis, during which Islamic revolutionary students kidnapped and held 52 U.S. Embassy employees hostage for 444 days. Following that attack, the America government broke all diplomatic relations with Iran, a policy that continues today.
What may surprise some people is that Iran has had an Interests Office in Washington for several years, issuing visas and keeping tabs on American news and governmental organizations. Isn’t it time we did the same in Tehran?
Supporters of the U.S. Interests Office plan, led by William Burns, have good reason to seek a renewed American presence in Tehran: access to reformist groups and others who oppose the current regime. These groups, led primarily by students, intellectuals, and political dissidents, have been leading efforts to reform their government for over a decade, but have lacked the support necessary to effectively oppose Tehran’s strong-armed tactics.
With Iran continuing to undermine stability in Iraq and support international terrorist organizations, it is clear that the United States needs as much influence in the Middle East as it can get. Limited diplomatic contact won’t solve all of our problems in the region, or even lead to a thaw in relations. Still, it just may open new lines of communication to those in Iran who are hungry for change, and change could be just what the doctor ordered.