Q&A
Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright
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Source: Getty
Iran: Reality, Opinions, and Consequences
The United States must alter its democracy promotion strategy, which has been unconstructive and counterproductive, and make clear that it has no intention of undermining Iran's territorial integrity. A move away from democracy promotion, however, should not signal indifference to human rights abuses.
Published on Oct 30, 2007
Source: Testimony before the House Oversight Committee's National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee
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Sadjadpour explained the views of the Iranian people and the effect those views have on Iranian and U.S. foreign policy. He made the following points:
- The discontent in Iran is deeply felt, widespread, and largely economic, but factors such as the Iraq war have tempered Iranian desire for abrupt change.
- Tehran is not a microcosm of Iran.
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has failed to deliver on campaign promises, but his fate is uncertain.
- The degree of popular support for the nuclear issue has been exaggerated.
- The government’s enmity toward the U.S. and Israel doesn’t resonate on the Iranian street, but the U.S. has lost political capital among Iranians.
- The Iranian public has little impact on the country’s foreign policy.
Outlining the implications for U.S. foreign policy he said:
- In the current climate, U.S. democracy promotion efforts have been unconstructive and counterproductive.
- Objective, professional, Persian-language news sources would be well-received in Iran.
- A sudden upheaval or abrupt political change is unlikely to be for the better.
- The United States should make it clear that it has no intention of undermining Iran’s territorial integrity.
- Altering democracy promotion efforts does not mean indifference to human rights abuses.
About the Author
Karim Sadjadpour
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Karim Sadjadpour is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.
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Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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