Amb. Thomas Pickering says US and Iran have some common interests

AIC's Honorary Board Member Amb. Thomas Pickering recently addressed a large group of students at Hamilton College on the nuclear accord and US-Iran relations. Amb. Pickering is one of the nation's premier former diplomats and a strong supporter of improved US-Iran relations.

"There are many other questions in the region that are of interest to Iran and the United States," Amb. Pickering said. "Interestingly enough, the Iranians and the US are both in agreement fundamentally that Afghanistan should not be in hands of the Taliban government; that neither Iraq nor Syria should be taken over by the Islamic State. That is important because that provides the beginning of an ability to try to build with our foreign policy toward regional balance and stability, to help move in a secure way in a situation now fraught with difficulties and dangers."