Iran Encounters Obama
Expectations of Barack Obama’s ability to influence US-Iran relations should be realistic, but even an unsuccessful US attempt to reach out has merit. If it becomes evident that hardliners in Iran – not America – are blocking better relations, internal elite and popular opposition could build, potentially creating large, unpredictable cleavages within Iran's political system.
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WASHINGTON, DC – Since its Islamist revolution of 1979, Iran’s hardline leadership has relentlessly painted America as a racist, bloodthirsty power bent on oppressing Muslims worldwide. Nothing punctures this narrative more than the election of an African-American, Barack Obama, who supports dialogue with Iran and whose middle name – Hussein– is that of the central figure in Shi’a Islam. While the Bush administration’s policies often served to unite Iran’s disparate political landscape against a common threat, an Obama presidency could accentuate the country’s deep internal divisions.