Our policy has been about some reapproachment with Iran. Even the Iraq/Iran (or Gulf War) was at heart about the arab states (and US) fearing a Persian state emerging as being dominant in the ME. Iraq attacked Iran, but it was pre-emptive. And we only gave Saddam WOMD to bail him out when Iran began kicking his ass. And even in trying nationbuilding, BushII married us to al-ah-Mucki who essentially was a Shia militia leader.
Some here like to personalize the negotiations with Iran as being about Obama, but they aren't. The international community is seeking a way to accommodate Iran and allow it economic growth and stability for its theocracy in exchange for it allowing the same for other states. And, we're going to see in the next couple of weeks Likud opposing an international push for a two state solution. Whether we torpedo it for Bibi, remains to be seen.
The problem is made more complex because the sunni nations, that are our nominal allies, are also bankrolling the terrorists who bombed the Cole, blew up the Towers and comprise ISIS. And we've been tied to the hip to these guys since the Cold War, when we allied with them not just in Afghanistan but also in Yeman. The Shia and Persians have never attacked the US outside the middle east. It's not like they are inherently more dangerous to us than the sunni. But the fact is we did a deal with the Saudis and smaller sunni oil states back in the 70s, where they agreed to no more oil boycotts and they invested their petro dollars in US corporations. It's worked well ... except the SUNNIS are the ones bankrolling the folks who bomb us.
