E238 - On the Brink with Iran w/ Dalia Dassa Kaye

Dalia Dassa Kaye's Enduring Hostility traces nearly five decades of American policy toward Iran, arguing that domestic politics, enduring narratives, and repeated framing of Iran as exceptional have locked policymakers into a hostile default. The book examines key episodes — from the 1979 hostage crisis and Iran‑Contra to post‑9/11 interactions and the nuclear negotiations — to show how missed openings and political constraints shaped outcomes. Kaye emphasizes how perceptions, interest groups, and bureaucratic incentives made diplomacy costly and sanctions the recurrent tool of choice. She draws on archival materials and interviews with policymakers to explain why efforts to normalize or reset relations repeatedly faltered. The book offers lessons for rethinking U.S. approaches toward adversaries and for testing diplomatic openings more systematically.