Shohan Shetty Professor Stephen Rosen Government 98sp 5 May 2011 A Time to Re-Visit: US Foreign Policy Toward Iran Robert Litwak writes, ³Throughout history, dissatisfied states«have rejected international norms and the status quo. This is a normal condition of international relations.´ i Among the most uncertain of the United States¶ international relations is that with the Islamic Republic of Iran. In fact, t he rhetoric surrounding the United States¶ perspective of Iranian policy has at times characterized the Middle Eastern nat ion as ³irrational´. ii And, Iranian political and religious leaders have not hesi tated to ascribe pejorative terms, such as the ³Great Satan´, to the United States and American po litical leadership. iii While these examples describe the sentiments of the more extreme poles o f the political spectrum, they are important dynamics to consider in analyzing Iranian-American relations, and especially important for the United St ates as we move forward in solidifying our foreign policy with the nat ion. The questions that must be answered should shed light on why this antago nism exists in Iranian-American relations: What actions have American political leaders defined as irrational? Why does such vitriolic rhetoric exist in this relationship? More importantly, can anything be done to mitigate the situation? Can the relationship between the United States and Iran be salvaged in the 21 st century? An important issue that Robert Litwak identifies in American foreign po licy is that ³more than two decades a fter the Iranian Revolution«U.S. relations with Iran remain powerfully influenced by its legacy´. iv Much of that legacyhas relegated Iran to t he status of rogue state, and this history, coupled with the charged rhetor ic utilized by the leadership of both nations, has calcified a relationship that demands re-visitation. In the past decade alone, Iranian political action and events have significantly altered the dynamics surrounding Iranian-US relations, and