How Trump Can Avoid His Predecessors’ Iran Mistakes

Politico Magazine

By RAY TAKEYH

When he assumes office in January, Donald Trump will inherit a host of foreign policy problems in the Middle East—from civil wars to terrorist insurgencies. But of all the antagonists in the region that he will have to deal with, Iran, an unpredictable foe with its flag planted in Arab capitals from Beirut to Baghdad, is the most consequential. For Trump, a successful foreign policy in the Middle East will hinge on a successful Iran policy.

As the new Trump administration contemplates just what form this policy will take, there are important lessons it can learn from all of its predecessors. Since the advent of the Islamic Republic in 1979, successive administrations—both Republican and Democrat—have wrestled with the theocratic regime, often making the same assumptions and often the same mistakes. To avoid this trap, the new team should absorb the right lessons from this tortured history.

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