Two US think tanks say the Obama administration needs to recalibrate its Iran policy, urging a strategic engagement to replace coercive action on the Islamic Republic.
In a 74-page report of a joint study group on US policy toward Iran, Dan Brumberg of the US Institute of Peace and Barry Blechman of the Stimson Center called for a top-to-bottom change in the US policy of coercion against Iran, a Press TV correspondent reported.
"We have to re-engage with Iran and offer a much more attractive set of ideas to engage Iran ... on discussion not only on nuclear issue but a whole gamut of issues related to ... US-Iranian relations," Brumberg told the correspondent.
"We can rebuild the positive aspect of US two-track side [to] continue with the sanctions to maintain leverage but also try to engage Iran on a full range of issues," Blechman said.
The authors said the US should also offer a robust set of political-economic incentives to Iran, including mutual discussions on Afghanistan and combating narcotics trafficking, in addition to assisting Iran with 'modernization' of its oil industry.
They also said the military action should be taken off the table as it could lead to a regional war, adding that the US has absolutely no chance of achieving success with Iran if it keeps pushing for coercive measures.
The Obama administration should reverse its course, offer deeper cooperation and talk less about threats, they concluded.