Hey Obama, Isolate Iran, or Engage Them - Make Up Your God Damned Mind

Following the Obama administration’s foreign policy isn’t easy. The president appears to be simultaneously pursuing both dialogue with and outreach toward Iran, while also trying to isolate the Islamic Republic.

A willingness to talk to the Iranians was a hallmark of the president’s campaign pitch, and the invitation to Tehran to take part in talks on Afghanistan is consistent with that way of thinking.  On the other hand, Obama’s not-so-secret letter to Russia, offering to pass on the installation of missile defenses in former Soviet-bloc satellites in exchange for Moscow’s help in stopping the Iranian nuclear program, shows that the administration is aware of the Iranian danger (even if this gambit was absurd in its abandonment of our Eastern European allies or expectation of any aid from Putin). The idea of an opening to Syria (ably explored by Bret Stephens in the March issue of COMMENTARY) is also supposed to be part of the isolation strategy. So, too, was Hillary Clinton’s tough talk about Iran during her tour of the region this week.

Obama apologists will say that exploring all these options is merely prudent. It shows Tehran that we are flexible enough to engage them if they want to talk and tough enough to isolate them if not.

But the problem with this is that the conflicting messages that Washington is sending will most likely convince the Iranians that we aren’t really serious about doing what we must to halt their nuclear ambitions. Do the ayatollahs take Obama seriously? No one thinks this administration will ever use force to stop Iran. And there are indications that, far from being ready to join in a more concerted effort at tougher and more meaningful sanctions, our European allies seem more interested in pushing Israel to talk to Tehran’s ally, Hamas, than doing anything about Iran.