By Govind Ramagopal, Research Fellow

I. The foundations of effective diplomacy

With the election of Barack Obama in 2008, there was hope in the US and around the globe that after years of war, not only would America pursue a more restrained posture towards the world, but towards the Middle East especially. Interest in President Obama’s election was high in Iran, and many warmly welcomed his victory as they felt it would mark a break from the Bush era. Throughout the campaign, the new President had stated on multiple occasions that he would pursue diplomacy with America’s adversaries, without preconditions, and this policy change included Tehran in its formulation. The appreciation of Obama’s victory even extended to the upper echelons of the Iranian government. The Speaker of the Majles, Ali Larijani said: “the Iranian government is leaning more in favor of Obama because he is more flexible and rational, even though we know America’s policy towards Iran won’t change much.” There was nevertheless an air of caution that pervaded both sides’ thinking, as the new American administration was on the other end of the ideological spectrum from the Ahmadinejad government that was steeped in a conservative worldview. Yet, President Obama continued his outreach to the Iranian people, and through those entreaties, to the regime itself. He was the first US president to mark the occasion of Nowruz, or Persian New Year, where he felicitated Iran’s rich history and remarked that “Iran could take its rightful place in the community of nations”.