George W. Bush Initiatives on the Settlement of US-Iran Bilateral Relations and Hostage Crisis in Lebanon in 1991.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31558/2519-2949.2018.4.18Keywords:
US foreign policy, policy of George W. Bush, Iran, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Persian Gulf, H. RafsanjaniAbstract
The main purpose of the paper is to study the diplomatic initiatives of the administration of George W. Bush. on the crisis settlement of the US-Iran relationship in the context of talks on the release of American hostages in Lebanon. The author traces the evolution of the political steps of George W. Bush. on improving relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the gradual evolution of US foreign policy towards passive deterrence of Tehran. The article analyzes the policies of Iranian President H. Rafsanjani for Iran’s withdrawal from international isolation, which is considered as a factor affecting bilateral relations between Washington and Tehran.
George W. Bush became the third US president whose relations with Tehran were characterized by tensions due to the seizure of hostages. Hezbollah began to capture Americans in 1982, and many hostages had been captive since then, including Lt. Col. W. Higgins, who was captured in 1981 while serving in Lebanon at the United Nations and was killed in 1989. This stage in the history of bilateral relations has become a significant obstacle to the establishment of political ties between Washington and Tehran.
In August 1990, the balance of power in the Persian Gulf changed dramatically when Iraq invaded Kuwait and the United States began re-deploying troops and military equipment to the Middle East, which began to bother Iran. The author analyzes changes in Iran’s behavior and reveals its influence on terrorist organization Hezbollah.
Bilateral cooperation between Washington and Tehran during the period of the presidency of George W. Bush and H. Rafsanjani demonstrates cautious counter-steps by both sides, which clearly highlights the distrust between the two countries and their leadership. It also shows the fact that each country was dealing with internal political struggle and external constraints, trying to cope with the challenges.
Rejecting the idea of establishing contact with the leadership of Tehran, the administration has lost the opportunity to improve US-Iranian relations in the future. Other challenges facing the US in international affairs were the fall of communism, the crisis in China and the Gulf War. They have contributed to the US transition in relations with Iran on the passive containment of the Islamic Republic. Washington eventually practically ignored Tehran.
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