While there have been junctures over the past couple of decades at which one would have expected Tehran and Washington to resume diplomatic ties, for reasons rooted in Iran’s internal political infighting as well as the interests of other regional powers, this has not happened. In the past few years Iran has been the focus of international attention due to its uranium enrichment, claimed by many in the West to be the prelude to nuclear armament. This article reviews the parameters of Iran’s foreign policy in the region and assesses the prospects of war in light of the many dimensions taken into account by the United States, among others.