New US Administration Needs Housecleaning
An interview with Dr. Yousef Molaei, university instructor and an expert in international law.
As we get closer to the US presidential elections in November, Iranian Diplomacy intends to seek the opinion of experts on the impacts of the polls on Tehran-Washington relations. Dr. Yousef Molaei, university instructor and an expert in international law, in an interview with Iranian Diplomacy says the new administration must revise some of the US policies:
Iran and the United States are two regional and trans-regional superpowers who can affect each other’s behaviors as two important players in their interactions in the Middle East. In the meantime, the new US government should make some housecleaning as regards Washington’s past policies and revise some of these policies. The new administration must use the experience of its predecessor to promote its new goals. In the new development, they must maintain a special outlook towards Iran because IRI is a regional player and very active for whatever reasons.
We should also not assume that if the Democrats come to power there would be fundamental changes in Tehran-Washington relations. In my opinion, the current US strategy, whether right or wrong, is implemented by the Republicans. The US strategic decisions are not fully made by the president and the government. The administration is an influential body but the macro policies are decided by the Congress and other institutions such as the Council of Foreign Relations and even universities, financial institutions and powerful companies which both produce thought and leave indirect impact on politics.
Therefore, the US strategy is not defined overnight and for the same reason we should not imagine that post-election developments in the US would be very eye-catching. Whoever comes to power next would give motion to its diplomacy vis-à-vis Iran and accelerate Iran related programs. But this does not mean a shift in their policy. Even a change in tactics would not be tangible.
As far as Iran is concerned, the United States will try to prove that what it says about Tehran is right. Washington says Tehran has no goodwill because its nuclear policy is not transparent and does not allow inspections of suspected nuclear sites; it does not sign the Additional Protocol; does not respect the UN Security Council resolutions and refuses to implement the decisions of the IAEA Governing Council.
The policy formulated for Iran would be followed even when a new US government takes over. If the Democrats or the Republican introduce some changes in their Iran diplomacy this would not mean they have solved their problems with the IRI. These changes would be rather in line with the former policies to show that Iran is not moving in a direction to easily settle its problems with the international community.
This is what the US has in mind for Iran after the presidential elections.