Abstract
The greatest threat to contemporary international security is the dispute that continues to exist between the US and Iran regarding the latter’s nuclear energy programme. This programme involves the enrichment of uranium certainly and the recovery of plutonium possibly, activities that are consistent with developing a power generating capacity and acquiring nuclear weapons. The Iranian government maintains that it is interested only in the former, but has declared its nuclear activities to be both a right and a supreme national interest critical to the country’s security and dignity and, indeed, to the security and dignity of the entire Islamic world (Cooper, 2007 and 2008; Hosseini, 2007; Jafarzadeh, 2007; Maher, 2008; Mottaki, 2007). Thus, they assert, it is a goal for which Iran and its people are prepared to pay any price and from which they will not be deterred. Most other countries wish that Iran did not seek to acquire this capacity. They do so on the assumption that any horizontal proliferation of nuclear capacities is dangerous, but also because they regard Iran as a troubled and potentially dangerous country, a view reinforced by the actions and utterances of its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Accordingly, they support a variety of incentives and sanctions designed to persuade Iran to abandon the more dangerous elements of its programme (UN Security Council, 2006). The US shares these views but also, until recently at least, has also presented Iran as an incorrigible and fanatically religious rogue or outlaw committed to the destruction of Israel and the removal of US influence from the Middle East. This image has been softened under the Obama administration, but the latter continues to maintain its predecessor’s position that Iran cannot be allowed to acquire the capacity to produce nuclear weapons and the leverage that threatening to use them or transfer them to others would result. The Bush administration’s emphasis on its readiness to use force has been replaced by a new one on securing a negotiated outcome, but the outcome has remained unchanged. Iran must not develop a capacity for making nuclear weapons and the US will ensure that it does not (Mahnaimi, 2005; Spillius, 2007). Iran shows no sign of changing course and so it is probable that at some point in its term of office, the Obama administration will come under pressure to take military action which, faut de mieux, will consist of airstrikes to destroy Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The prospects of success for such a use of force are uncertain at best, while the costs in human, economic and political terms are potentially very great. The most likely outcome would be an expansion of the asymmetrical wars of attrition and willpower currently being fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. Both Iran’s quest for a nuclear capacity and American attempts to suppress it would probably continue. However, they would so under conditions even more neuralgic and unstable than those that presently exist, placing great strains in the Middle East on international relations between states, political relations between governments and their own peoples, and civilizational relations between the world societies of which those peoples are also members.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Bibliography
Ahmadinejad, M., ‘Wipe Israel off the Map’, AlJazeera.net, 28 October 2005 at http://english.aljazeera.net/English/archive/archive?ArchiveId=15816, accessed 23 May 2008.
Albright, M., The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God and World Affairs (New York: Harper Collins, 2006).
Ansari, A., Confronting Iran (New York: Basic Books, 2006).
Armitage, R. and Nye, J., CSIS Commission on Smart Power: A Smarter More Secure America (Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2007).
Auden, W., ‘September 1, 1939’, at http://www.brown.edu/Departments/MCM/people/scholes/Dishonest.html.
Berridge, G., Talking to the Enemy (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1994).
Berridge, G. (ed.) Diplomatic Classics: Selected Texts from Commynes to Vattel (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004).
Bush, G., State of the Union Address, 29 January 2002, at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/01/20020129-11.html.
Carpenter, T. and Logan, J. ‘US Must Offer Iran Diplomatic Deal’, Cato Institute, 24 April 2006, at http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?_id+6366 (article first appearing on Fox News.com, 21 April 2006).
Churchill, W., ‘White House luncheon’, 26 June 1954, variously reported in the US press, at http://www.bartleby.com/73/1914.html.
Clinton, H., ‘Senate Confirmation Hearing: Hillary Clinton’, The New York Times, 13 January 2009, at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/us/politics/13text-clinton.html?pagewanted=all.
Clinton, H., ‘Foreign Policy Address at the Council on Foreign Relations’, plus questions and answers session, 15 July 2009, at http://www.state.gov/ secretary/rm/2009a/july/126071.htm.
Cohen, R., ‘The Mellow Doctrine’, The New York Times, 4 May 2009.
Cohen, R., ‘Ask Not For A Great Line’, The New York Times, 8 June 2009.
Cooper, H. ‘Ahmadinejad, at Columbia, Parries and Puzzles’, The New York Times, 25 September 2007.
Cooper H., ‘White House Criticizes Envoy Over Iran’, The New York Times, 30 January 2008.
Cooper, H. and Sanger, D., ‘Obama’s Message to Iran Is Opening Bid in Diplomatic Drive’, The New York Times, 21 March 2009.
Coughlan, C., ‘John Bolton thinks Diplomats are Dangerous’, The Daily Telegraph, 30 November 2007.
Coughlan, C., ‘Doves are Winning the War on Iran’, The Daily Telegraph, 4 December 2007.
Crocker, C., Hampson, F. and Aall, P. Herding Cats: Multiparty Mediation in a Complex World (Washington: United States Institute of Peace, 1999).
Der Derian, J., ‘Sustainable Diplomacy, Global Security and Heteropolarity’, paper presented at Paths to Sustainable Diplomacy conference organized by the International Peace Research Institute (Oslo), Cyprus Centre, 10–11 December 2007.
Etgar Lefkovits and David Brinn ‘Ahamadinejad, Israel A Stinking Corpse’, The Jerusalem Post, 9 May 2008 http://www.jpost.com/Cooperations/Archives/
Fathi, N. and Slackman, M., ‘Iran’s Nuclear Envoy Resigns; Talks in Doubt’, The New York Times, 21 October 2007.
Fathi, N., ‘Iran’s President Denies Hostility to Israelis’, The New York Times, 18 September 2008.
Fathi, N., ‘Iran’s Chief Cleric Says Iran is not a Friend to Israelis’, The New York Times, 19 September 2008.
Gilette, R., Appeasement In The 1930’s: Why Did Diplomacy Fail? (New York: Scholastic Book Services, 1966; second print, 1971).
Glick, C., ‘Obama’s Unique Appeasement Style’, Real Clear Politics, 20 May 2008, at http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/05/obamas_unique_appeasement_styl.html.
Hawkins, W., ‘Exclusive: Obama’s Appeasement Express Continues with the Nomination of Governor Huntsman to China’, Family Security Matters, 27 May 2009, at http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.3337/pub_detail.asp.
Hoge, W., ‘Europeans Plan Incentives, as Iran Says Sanctions Won’t Halt Nuclear Program’, The New York Times, 26 February 2008.
Hoge W. and Sciolino E., ‘Security Council Adds Sanctions Against Iran’, The New York Times, 4 March 2008.
Hosseini, M., ‘Iran will Study any Offer Guaranteeing its Nuclear Rights’, Tehran Times, 7 November 2007.
Iran-United States Claims Tribunal talks at the International Court of Justice, official site at http://www.iusct.org/index-english.html.
Jafarzadeh, A., The Iran Threat: President Ahmadinejad and the Coming Nuclear Crisis (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007).
James, A., ‘Diplomatic Relations and Contacts’ reprinted from The British Year Book of International Law (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992).
Knowlton, B., ‘Soften the Talk on Iran, El Baradei Urges US’, The New York Times, 29 October 2007.
Landler, M., ‘A New Iran Overture, With Hot Dogs’, The New York Times, 1 June 2009.
Maher, R., ‘Informal Diplomatic Relations between the United States and Iran: A Sustainable Strategy for the Future?’ unpublished paper presented at the ISA Annual Convention in San Francisco, 26–8 March 2008, at http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/5/4/5/3/pages254537/p254537-1.php.
Mackey, S., The Iranians: Persia, Islam and the Soul of a Nation (New York: Plume, 1998).
Mahnaimi, U. and Baxter, S. ‘Israel readies forces for strike on nuclear Iran’, The Sunday Times, 11 September 2005, at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article757224.ece.
McCain, J. preparing to speak at Murrells Inlet VFW Hall, South Carolina, April 20, 2007, ‘Bomb Bomb Bomb, Iran’ at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=o-zoPgv_nYg, accessed 24 May 2008.
Mottaki, M., ‘Respect Iran’s Independence’, Tehran Times, 15 November 2007.
Navai, R., ‘Iran Sacks Diplomats in Purge of Reformers’, The Times, 2 November 2005, at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article585547.ece.
Nicolson, H., Diplomacy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1963; 3rd edn).
Newsom, D. (ed.), Diplomacy Under a Foreign Flag: When Nations Break Relations (Washington, DC: Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, 1990).
‘Obama Casts himself as Ready for Diplomacy: Democratic Hopeful says he would go “toe to toe” with Renegade Nations’, AP, 28 July 2007, at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20013543/.
‘Obama vows to “renew US diplomacy”’, Politico, 1 December 2008, at http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16075.html.
Obama speech Cairo, 4 June 2009, The Huffington Post, 15 June 2009, at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/04/obama-speech-in-cairo-vid_n_211215.html.
Parsi, T., Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings Of Israel, Iran and the US (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007).
Peterson, M., Recognition of Governments: Legal Doctrine and State Practice 1815–1995 (New York: St. Martin’s Press 1997).
Pollack, K., The Persian Puzzle: The Conflict Between Iran And America (New York: Random House, 2004).
Richelieu, J., Political Testament (Amsterdam, 1689).
Romero, S., ‘Amid Growing Unrest, Bolivia Orders US Ambassador to Leave’, The New York Times, 10 September 2008.
Romero, S., ‘US Says It Will Oust Venezuela Envoy, and Names Two Officials as Rebel Backer’, The New York Times, 12 September 2008.
Rubin, J., ‘Our Man in Iran?’ The New York Times, 14 July 2008, at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/opinion/14rubin.html?_=1&sq+our man in iran&st = . . .9/11/2008.
Satow, E., An Austrian Diplomat in the Fifties (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1908).
Sciolino, E. and Stolberg, S., ‘US Considers Opening Diplomatic Post in Iran’, The New York Times, 18 July 2008.
‘Seven Senators Call for US Interests Section in Iran’, niacINsight, 25 July 2008, at http://niacblog.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/seven-senators-call-for-us-interests-section-in-ir...9/11/2008.
Shanker, T., ‘Gates Says Should Avoid Extremes of Force’, The New York Times, 19 September 2008.
Sharp, P., Diplomatic Theory of International Relations (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009).
Spillius, A., ‘George Bush warns Putin over World War III’, The Daily Telegraph, 20 October 2007.
Stolberg, S. and Rutenberg, J., ‘Bush Assails “Appeasement,” Touching Off Storm’, The New York Times, 16 May 2008.
Takeyh, R., Hidden Iran: Paradox And Power In The Islamic Republic (New York: Holt, 2006).
Taylor, A., The Origins of the Second World War (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1964).
Thrall, T. and Wilkins, J., ‘Failed Diplomacy: Kennedy Talked; Khrushchev Triumphed’, The International Herald Tribune, 22 May 2008, at http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/22/opinion/edthrall.php.
‘2005 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)’, at http://www.un.org/events/npt2005/npttreaty.html.
UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1696 ‘Security Council Demands Iran Suspend Uranium Enrichment By 31 August Or Face Possible Economic, Diplomatic Sanctions’, at http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8792.doc.htm.
‘US-Iran Talks on Iraq Postponed: US Embassy’, The Raw Story, 14 February 2008, at http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_Iran_talks_on_Iraq_postponed_Ame_ 02142008.html.
Wellman, D., Sustainable Diplomacy: Ecology, Religion and Ethics in Muslim-Christian Relations (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004).
Wiseman, G., ‘Pax Americana: Bumping Into Diplomatic Culture’, International Studies Perspectives 6, 4 (November 2005), 409–30.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2010 Paul Sharp
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Sharp, P. (2010). The US-Iranian conflict in Obama’s New Era of Engagement: Smart Power or Sustainable Diplomacy?. In: Constantinou, C.M., Der Derian, J. (eds) Sustainable Diplomacies. Studies in Diplomacy and International Relations. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230297159_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230297159_13
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-31760-8
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-29715-9
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)