Michael Doran is a researcher specializing in international relations and a former member of President George W. Bush’s National Security Council. This week, on Sept. 23, he was asked during a public event in Washington whether Iran’s new tone really marks the dawn of a new era in the region. Doran responded by describing his own “Iranian experience,” when Bush’s team was tackling the same issue: Is Tehran really interested in peace and compromise, or is it all a ruse?
Doran told how messages started arriving from representatives in Europe and a wide range of journalists, who stubbornly attacked the Bush administration, insisting that the Iranians were serious, that they were interested in talking and resolving all differences peacefully. This was during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami. Everyone who carried these messages, Doran said, urged the administration to open a secret channel of communication with Iran because, according to their assessment, the Americans would be surprised at how far the Iranians were willing to go.