Talking to Iran

Five former Secretaries of State have urged the next administration to engage Iran.

It's always been a bit of a mystery to me why this has become such a contentious point. Even if you think the Iranians are incorrigible terrorists, you'll get far better information about them and their intentions if you have regular exchanges with them (as the U.S. did with the Soviets) than if you persist in walling them off. It may not alter the dynamic of the relationship - clearly Europe's engagement hasn't successfully moderated Iran's nuclear ambitions - but what's the harm?