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3 - Leaps of Faith: From Containment to Dialogue, 1990–2000

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

Malcolm Byrne
Affiliation:
National Security Archive/George Washington University
Kian Byrne
Affiliation:
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington DC
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Summary

With the Iran–Iraq conflict and the Cold War coming to an end, the US–Iran relationship appeared to warm as each country no longer faced the existential threats that had once consumed them. With the death of Khomeini, Iran also found itself at a crucial juncture as more pragmatic figures came to the fore. The ascent of new leadership marked a more pragmatic turn for Iran. Meanwhile, in the US, George H.W. Bush attempted to usher the US into the post–Cold War world, and seemed more eager than his predecessor to engage with Iran. Time would not be on his side, however, and other priorities – especially the revolutions in Eastern Europe and Operation Desert Storm – distracted Bush from making any significant steps toward rapprochement. His successor, Bill Clinton, did nothing to better the relationship in his first term, but with the surprise election of the reformist Mohammad Khatami the two rival nations began warming to the prospect of serious engagement. Despite some initial gestures and successful Track II diplomatic exchanges, however, time and expectations again would become factors and the decade would close without concrete agreements.

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Chapter
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Worlds Apart
A Documentary History of US–Iranian Relations, 1978–2018
, pp. 136 - 173
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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