Ilan Goldenberg doesn’t want to US to wait until the Iranian election to engage the country:
Any sign that we are supporting a candidate (Say Khatami), even an unintentional one, would be incredibly damaging to that candidate. Conversely, if it became obvious that the U.S. was actively opposed to a candidate (Say Ahmadinejad) that could act as an electoral boon for him. Given America’s checkered past in Iranian politics and the Iranian sensitivities around this issue, it’s best to not hinge any of our decisions on what happens in their elections.
But it’s ok to hope.
The Dish 