Marc Lynch: U.S. Must Reshape Policy Toward Iran

In a new report by the Center for New American Security, Marc Lynch discusses how U.S. policy towards Iran must be reshaped in light of the regional uprisings.  Lynch argues that while the Obama administration’s strategic policy can claim some success, events in the region which have led to the fall of key supporters Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and other regional leaders focusing on domestic politics and wary of aggressive moves against Iran.  He noted, that contrary to Iran’s claims, the uprisings have not benefitted Iran, but rather it “may be weaker than many recognize” especially in light of the situation in Syria and the anti-Shi’a panic in the Gulf.  Lynch calls for avoiding a repolarization and inflation of the Iranian threat and communicating Iran’s irrelevance to the uprising,  having a greater focus on human rights and universal freedoms in Iran, engaging Arab publics more effectively,  greater strategic alliance with Egypt and Turkey, and take a more pragmatic approach to the nuclear issue.