Iran and the United States have been in confrontation—a state of "no war, no peace"—for almost three decades, a period that has seen limited contact and little mutual understanding. In the context of the current heightened tensions between the two countries, there are increasing calls from both sides for diplomatic approaches—calls that have served to sharpen the debate in American policymaking circles over the efficacy and utility of negotiations with Iran. As the nation contemplates ways to address the U.S.-Iranian crisis and whether to negotiate with Iran, the question of how to negotiate with Iran has been largely overlooked.

This event will explore lessons outlined in a newly-published USIP Special Report entitled "Negotiating with the Islamic Republic of Iran: Raising the Chances for Success—Fifteen Points to Remember" by Ambassador John Limbert. The report presents initial findings of a USIP-funded study of Iranian negotiating behavior undertaken by Amb. Limbert and is part of the Institute’s ongoing Cross-Cultural Negotiation Project.

Archived Audio

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Speakers

• Ambassador John Limbert
  Distinguished Professor, United States Naval Academy
• Ellen Laipson
  President and CEO, Stimson Center
• Michael Rubin
  Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute
• Mohebat Ahdiyyih
  Senior Iran Analyst, Open Source Center
• Richard Solomon, Introduction
  President, U.S. Institute of Peace
• Steve Riskin, Moderator
  Senior Program Officer, USIP Grant and Fellowship Program