3 Questions: John Tirman on the warming U.S.-Iran relationship
The U.S. and Iran have had a largely antagonistic relationship since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Could that be changing? In January, Iran and a U.S.-led group of six global powers agreed to an interim six-month deal that freezes Iran’s nuclear weapons program, in exchange for the lifting of some economic sanctions. The progress on the issue indicates that U.S.-Iran difficulties are not wholly intractable, suggests John Tirman, a principal research scientist and executive director of MIT’s Center for International Studies. Tirman is the co-editor of a new book on the subject, “U.S.-Iran Misperceptions: A Dialogue,” just published by Bloomsbury Press, which features essays by scholars and policymakers from both countries. Tirman recently talked with MIT News about the topic. Q. What are the main misperceptions on both sides of the U.S.-Iran relationship?A. Well, there are so many. On the Iranian side, it’s their belief that the U.S. has been...