Iran's Hard-and-Soft Foreign Policy

David Ignatius, Post Global | July 10, 2008

Iranian diplomacy reflects pride, self-confidence, and a decreasing fear of the US and Israel. ++ Whereas Tehran's hard-liners are using the argument of Western weakness to justify their rejection of compromise, pragmatic voices believe it is time for Iran to negotiate and "consolidate its gains." ++ At present, Iran's course is unclear: "even as they talk about diplomacy, the Iranians continue to brandish the weapons of war." ++ Mistrust and psychological warfare are preventing strategic dialogue and resulting in mixed messages.