The Consequences of American Diplomacy Without Leverage

American diplomacy has long been the front line of global policy enforcement and negotiation, particularly dealing with regimes whose actions counter international norms and laws. However, recent trends suggest that American diplomatic efforts, particularly with the Islamic Republic, are veering towards a path of minimal leverage and apparent appeasement. This approach has significant repercussions for regional stability and global security.

Despite the imposition of numerous sanctions on the Islamic Republic, a clear lack of accountability has marred the effectiveness of these measures. This absence of robust enforcement mechanisms and a system of checks and balances enables corruption to flourish. Reports indicate that the regime has exploited these gaps through clandestine deals with certain Eastern bloc governments. This coalition of convenience allows the Islamic Republic to expand its aggressive tactics, notably smuggling oil at reduced prices to countries like Russia and China, which support these operations either tacitly or overtly.

Moreover, the regime’s commitment to exporting its version of Islam continues unabated. It is not merely content with regional influence but is extending its ideological reach to Latin America and Africa, as far reaching as the Ivory Coast. Perhaps more troubling is the launch of their “purchase policy,” where individuals are reportedly paid between $1,000 and $10,000 to convert to their faith. These converts are then often recruited to participate in propaganda campaigns or even to join proxy militant groups like the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria.

This expansive and somewhat surreptitious strategy signifies a form of ideological imperialism under the guise of religious evangelism, accelerating the spread of an extremist doctrine. The implications for the United States and its allies are dire, as it represents an expansion of radicalism right under their noses — a kind of fascism spreading through both coercion and capital.

The ongoing American diplomatic strategy, which ostensibly leans heavily on negotiation without sufficient leverage, inevitably leads to compromise after compromise. Such concessions have not yielded the desired moderation of the Islamic Republic’s policies but rather have emboldened it to disregard international norms with impunity. If the U.S. continues down this path, it may find itself negotiating from a position of weakness, undermining its own standing and the global order that it has historically sought to uphold.

The lesson here is clear: diplomacy without leverage is merely gestural and unlikely to produce substantive results. It is crucial for the U.S. to reassess its strategy, enforce its sanctions more rigorously, and demand accountability, ensuring that global security is not compromised by the strategic failings of accommodating diplomacy.

Europe and America

Lessons must be learned.