Ambassador Dennis Ross, special assistant to the President and senior director for the Central Region including the Middle East, the Gulf, Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Asia, addressed USIP on the day it rolled out "The Iran Primer: Power, Politics and U.S. Policy," edited by USIP-Woodrow Wilson Center Fellow Robin Wright.  The speech took place just a week before multilateral talks with Iran begin.

Ambassador Dennis Ross, special assistant to the President and senior director for the Central Region including the Middle East, the Gulf, Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Asia, addressed USIP on the day it rolled out "The Iran Primer: Power, Politics and U.S. Policy," edited by USIP-Woodrow Wilson Center Fellow Robin Wright. The speech took place just a week before multilateral talks with Iran begin.

Ross pointed out how the absence of U.S. diplomatic contact with Iranian officials for 30 years has led to difficulties in policy and in interpreting signals between our two countries. Ross complimented the new Iran Primer for its focus on the repeated efforts of past administrations to deal with Iran.

Ross said that President Obama wanted to change that situation through engagement and has made offers to engage Iran with mutual interest and mutual respect, but that Iran’s behavior has not, to date, shown a willingness to take a different path. "We wanted to use engagement so we could deal, directly with Iran and we said –‘we respect your rights, but with rights come responsibilities."

Ross said that U.S. intentions have never been to humiliate Iran or single Iran out. But Ross reiterated that Iran has a choice about which path it takes and that an Iran with nuclear weapons would be tremendously dangerous and would damage the non-proliferations aims of the U.S., globally. Ambassador Ross spelled out the effects of recent U.N. sanctions on Iran noting that "business as usual abroad for Iran is not possible right now." Ross addressed the affects of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1929 on Iranian revenues from energy, its ability to fund and facilitate nuclear activities, its ability to engage with companies, its imports of gasoline, and the fact that Iran’s central bank has to intervene to stabilize its currency. "What it all adds up to," said Ross, "is that the pressure on Iran is continuing to grow every day."

Ross said that the meetings with Iran and China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. – the “5+1” group -  are serious but that President Obama is not prepared to "engage in talks just for the sake of talks." Iran has a chance," said Ross, "to really benefit from the talks in areas like science, technology, etc. and has a lot to gain from the talks." 

Ross denied any sense that the U.S. is not approaching these talks with Iran with a seriousness of purpose and said that Iran can bring any issues to the table but that nuclear issues have to be part of the agenda.

Explore Further


Related Publications

Peace Teachers Program

Peace Teachers Program

Friday, December 1, 2023

The U.S. Institute of Peace’s (USIP) Peace Teachers Program is rooted in the conviction that educators can be pivotal in bringing themes of global conflict and peace into their classrooms, schools, and communities.

Type: Fact Sheet

Education & TrainingYouth

U.S.-Vietnam Partnership Goes Beyond Strategic Competition with China

U.S.-Vietnam Partnership Goes Beyond Strategic Competition with China

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

When the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was founded in 1967, one of its initial goals was to contain the threat of communism during the Vietnam War. It is a remarkable turn of history that 55 years later, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính is coming this year to Washington for the ASEAN leaders summit with President Biden. Vietnam’s accession to ASEAN in 1995 ⁠— the same year when Hanoi and Washington normalized relations ⁠— was the first big step of Hanoi’s “multi-directional” foreign policy. As the Biden administration identifies Vietnam as one of the key countries in its Indo-Pacific Strategy, it needs to recognize Hanoi’s preference for multilateralism in its engagement policy.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

Amid Pandemic, Virtual Peace Trail Demonstrates U.S. Commitment to Peace

Amid Pandemic, Virtual Peace Trail Demonstrates U.S. Commitment to Peace

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

The last year was marked by disruption, with schools shuttered, workplaces closed and so many aspects of daily life altered by the pandemic. While COVID drastically reduced the number of tourists to the capital, too, that did not stop USIP from bringing Washington, D.C. to Americans through virtual options for visiting and experiencing the Peace Trail on the National Mall. The Peace Trail brings a “peace lens” to the experience of visiting the National Mall — elevating stories of key figures, institutions and moments in history that demonstrate America’s commitment to peace.

Type: Blog

Education & Training

View All Publications