Khatemi may begin a process of evolution, although he may not make immediate changes in foreign policy. During his election campaign, Khatemi said that Iran should be prepared to talk to any nation if that were in Iran's interest, though he ruled out discussions with Washington as not being in Iran's interests under current U.S. attitudes. Some in Iran are not wedded to the present confrontational approach. Several factors might make Iran more likely to change policies and return to the community of nations. One reason would be because Iran decides it cannot prevail against the West.
Iranian leaders feel they are being encircled by unfriendly states.
They look with alarm at the growing cooperation between the Turkish military and Israel. They are firmly convinced that the Taleban victory in Afghanistan was orchestrated by the United States, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, to undercut Iran. And they watch with concern Azerbaijan's growing links with the West, as the Azeri oil industry takes off thanks to Western investment. Another factor motivating more acceptable foreign behavior would be if Iranian leaders were to decide that their country's economic deterioration can be reversed only by changing foreign policy behavior. That deterioration may well become a more pressing concern.