When Does the U.S. Government Stop Calling Iran a Rogue State?
This raised the question: how long should the U.S. government continue to try to isolate Iran? How long should the U.S. try to make Iran an example for other people who might try to overthrow their own U.S.-sponsored dictator? When does the oil companies’ thirst for profits outweigh the political benefits that come from continuing the sanctions? In reality, the U.S. government had to weigh its long-term concern for maintaining its domination based on fear, against the short-term economic goals of the businesses that it serves. But Big Oil’s concerns soon had an impact on the Clinton administration, which first raised the possibility of normalizing relations with Iran. In June 1998, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called for a road map to better relations with Iran. President Clinton also let it be known that he wanted to see a way to take some steps “toward ending the strains between our nations [Iran and the U.S.].” The question of a U.S. turn in policy began to be raised b
