In Tehran, there is still an internal power struggle over whether to engage fully with the Great Satan. So any U.S. diplomacy must be smart.
However, Mr. Obama was right when he said: "The notion that not talking to countries is punishment for them, which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration, is ridiculous."
To exit Iraq, the United States must involve Iran in serious regional negotiations with all of Iraq's neighbors. This won't happen so long as Iran's top leaders still suspect America wants to topple their regime.
The next U.S. president needs to propose that America and Iran compile an agenda of their key concerns and discuss them without preconditions. Iran's threats to Israel, the nuclear issue and Iranian human rights violations would all be on that agenda. The aim would be to develop a new relationship that met the interests of both sides. Such a proposal would galvanize the pragmatists in the Iranian government.
Mr. Obama's tactics may betray inexperience, but he grasps the need to revamp U.S. policy toward Iran and Cuba. For all their "experience," Mr. Bush and Mr. McCain are glued to policies that have failed.
Trudy Rubin is a columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Her column appears Tuesdays in The Sun. Her e-mail is trubin@phillynews.com.
