…Iran was preparing the world for an emerging stable energy supplier, making new relationships, strategic trading partners and restructuring the Middle East via its influence in Iraq. All the meanwhile defying the US and its imperialistic ambitions.

After 9/11, the Bush administration got a tremendous opportunity to not only unify the country around a common cause of fighting terrorism, but to unify the world against radical Islam. 9/11 made the world aware of the possible ramifications of having a brutal regime like Taliban in unstable places of the world. Instead, Bush-Cheney administration squandered that opportunity and instead chose to bully the world into its national cause. It chose to do so by following the Neo-Conservative dream of finally invading Iraq, creating a client state and securing energy resources for another several decades. During this time, the moderate Iranian government headed by Khatami offered the US help in Afghanistan. More importantly, it indicated its willingness to engage US diplomatically for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Bush-Cheney administration again chose to ignore that diplomatic gesture hoping that it would get even more concessions under its newly announced Grand Strategy.

Instead of opening diplomatic ties with Iran, US chose to ignore it. This resulted in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appearing as the head of Iranian hardliner leadership and all the consequences that followed. Adam Lambert summarizes Iran’s accomplishments during Bush’s “Ignore Iran” period very well:

1. Alliance with China:
While it doesn’t have all the characteristics of a full alliance, its relationship with China is very strong on an economic scale due to China’s demanding needs for energy. The implications are obvious: China can obstruct harsh sanctions against Iran in the future and obstruct any military confrontation with Iran by the United States.

2. Alliance with Venezuela:
Similar to alliance with China, it’s only the beginning. But the importance of this alliance is that Venezuela is currently persuading OPEC countries to trade in currencies other than dollar. The implication is further devaluing of the dollar.

3. Strategic partnership with Russia:
Yet another challenge to the US. As article points out, “Gazprom will develop two or three blocks of the monstrous South Pars gas field in Iran and its daughter company, Gazpromneft, will also be part of a huge oil project in Iran.”

Not only have we managed to degrade our friendships with allies, but we have managed to unite our enemies against us. And all because of a Neo-Conservative strategy based on a dreamed-up illusion that the world (allies and enemies alike) will just fold under pressure after 9/11 and cave in to US’s demands.

But like all dreams, this one is coming to an end. Unfortunately, it has mutated into a nightmare.