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Our Dossier

This dossier documents the United States relationship with Iran.

Please use the tabs to access the three sections of this dossier:
 

Tab 1 lists US priorities with regard to Iran, major US Govt statements, latest US Govt statements, US Govt fact sheets, and other US Govt resources. 

Tab 2 lists non-US Government  reports, journal articles, and other documents.

Tab 3 provides a set of links to major web sites.

 

If you cannot find what you are looking for, please contact us through email.
 

Other US Govt Resources

 

US Government Reports IconNational Intelligence Estimate: Iran: Nuclear Intentions and
Capabilities. Source: Director of National Intelligence, Dec. 3, 2007.
 

Congressional Research Service Reports LogoIran's Influence in Iraq Source: CRS Report for Congress, Updated August  9, 2007.

Congressional Research Service Reports LogoIran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses Source: CRS Report for Congress, Updated August 6, 2007
 

Microphone icon representing hearings held before CongressUnited States Policy Towards Iran. Source: R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs; Testimony Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Washington, DC, March 29, 2007.
 

Microphone icon representing hearings held before CongressMinimizing Potential Threats from Iran: Assessing the Effectiveness of Current US Sanctions on Iran. Source: US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, March 21, 2007.
 

Microphone icon representing hearings held before Congress "Iranian Nuclear Crisis: Latest Developments and Next Steps". Source: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 15, 2007. Mr. David Albright, Matthew Levitt, Ph.D., Daniel Byman, Ph.D., Mr. Ilan Berman

 

Microphone icon representing hearings held before Congress "The Iranian Challenge". Source: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 6, 2007. The Honorable Tom Lantos, The Honorable R. Nicholas Burns
 

Congressional Research Service Reports LogoIran's Nuclear Program: Recent Developments Source: CRS Report for Congress, Updated March 8, 2007
 

Major US State Department  Reports on Iran

bullet Country Reports on Terrorism

bullet International Relgious Freedom

bullet Human Rights Reports full report, Near East and North Africa.

bullet U.S. Record 2005-2006: full report, Middle East and North Africa.
 

United States Policy toward Iran: a Dossier

Reactor building of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant as seen on February 26, 2006. [? AP/WWP File photo]
Reactor building of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant as seen on February 26, 2006. [? AP/WWP File photo]

Key U.S. Policy Priorities

"It is clear from the latest NIE [National Intelligence Estimate] that the Iranian government has more to explain about its nuclear intentions and past actions, especially the covert nuclear weapons program pursued until the fall of 2003, which the Iranian regime has yet to acknowledge. The Iranians have a strategic choice to make. They can come clean with the international community about the scope of their nuclear activities and fully accept the longstanding offer to suspend their enrichment program and come to the table and negotiate, or they can continue on a path of isolation that is not in the best interest of the Iranian people. The choice is up to the Iranian regime." President Bush, Dec. 5, 2007

“Diplomacy is our best course of action in blocking and containing the Iranian regime. I do not believe a military confrontation with Iran is either desirable or inevitable. If we continue our skillful diplomatic course and have the patience to see it play out over the mid to long-term, I am confident we can avoid conflict and see our strategy succeed. Our strong hope is that Iran will accept the offer to negotiate with the U.S. and our P-5 partners so that we can achieve a peaceful end to Tehran’s nuclear weapons ambitions.”

Next to the challenge that we have in front of us in Iraq, nothing is more important to the United States in the years ahead than to deal with this challenge which is multifaceted from the Iranian government. That challenge is an Iran that most of the world believes is trying to achieve a nuclear weapons capability, an Iran that continues to be in many respects the central banker of most of the Middle East terrorist groups. And an Iran because of its recent policy in recent years, particularly through the statements and actions of President Ahmadinejad, that has caused instability in its relations with most of the Arab world and the countries of the greater Middle East. Those three aspects are the challenges that are in front of American foreign policy.

Our policy is to deny Iran a nuclear weapons capability. It is to diminish Iran's capability of being successful in supporting these terrorist groups. It is to prevent Iran from providing the type of sophisticated IED technology that currently is providing that is a great threat to the American and British troops in Iraq.

It is also to help over the longer term we hope the creation of a society and a government in Iran that will be democratically-based and pluralistic, an Iran that wants to be part of the region in a positive way and not a disruptive force in the region.

Finally, I think one of the other imperatives of our policy is that we have to engage the Iranian people.

 

Major US Government Statements

A select list of major statements On the United States and Iraq with policy value.

Latest US Government Statements

The five most recent statements in reverse chronological order. 

US Government Fact Sheets

The five most recent fact sheets.

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