As Tension Between Iran and the West Escalates, Keep Oman in Mind

With the recent revelation that the Iran has captured a U.S. drone which invaded its airspace (prompting, among other things, an angry letter to the UN Secretary-General), discussion has once again turned to engagement with the Islamic Republic. Clearly, if arguments that the entire Arab Awakening is, in part, a Sunni-Shiite battle, as writers at Foreign Policy have suggested, then engagement with Iran is about to become of even more paramount importance than it already is. And while board games may be trumpeting that a military battle with the Islamic Republic is imminent, diplomacy seems preferable to a full-scale air war.

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