For the past five years, the United States has been dedicated to working with Iranian President Mohammed Khatami to bring about reform in Iran. Now the U.S. is adopting a hardline approach to its dealings with the government that President Bush labeled as part of the “Axis of Evil.”

The Bush administration has concluded that the Khatami government is too weak and ineffective to transform Iranian society, according to a senior official. Instead of dealing with reformers in the Iranian government, the administration will now be appealing directly to the Iranian people.

In this hour, turning the political tide in Iran. Did the Bush administration do the right thing in breaking ties with the Iranian leadership? Does this set a dangerous precedent? How involved should the United States be in determining leadership in the Middle East?

Guests:

Geneive Abdo, Former correspondent in Iran for The Guardian and author of a forthcoming book about contemporary Iran

Bahman Baktiari, Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine

Patrick Clawson, Deputy Director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy