U.S. Talks with Iran Reveal a Subtle Shift Toward More Diplomacy

The New York Times analyzes a recent shift, albeit a subtle one, in the Bush administration’s more diplomatic tone in dealing with Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas—countries and groups that the White House has previously shunned and tried to isolate. The story appears one day before the Bush administration sends a high-ranking diplomat to Geneva for a rare meeting with Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, which, as indicated by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today, by no means indicates unconditional, open-ended discussions between the two countries, but does mark a significant contrast to the administration’s previous stance. The White House is also considering establishing a permanent presence in Tehran for the first time since the 1979 Iranian revolution and hostage crisis.

Our U.S. Confidence in Foreign Policy Index has consistently found the public showing a clear preference for non-military solutions to international problems. Over the course of six months, there’s been a 12-point jump in those who favor using diplomacy to establish better relations with Iran, with 47 percent now saying that’s the best strategy. Very few want to use force or even threaten to do so with Iran (only 12 percent total). But this area also reveals a certain level of skepticism in the public. Nearly 6 in 10 (58 percent) think it’s unrealistic to expect the U.S. to prevent more countries from developing nuclear weapons, and only 23 percent think the United States can do “a lot” to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.