Iran had put itself in isolation because of its radicalism, and after having helped the United States indirectly in the war against Iraq in 1991, the Iranians were hoping that they would be rewarded by being included in the post-war security architecture of the region.
L'Iran s'havia aïllat tot sol degut al seu extremisme, i després d'haver ajudat de manera indirecta als EEUU en la guerra contra l'Iraq el 1991, els iranians tenien l'esperança que se'ls recompensaria incloent-los a l'arquitectura de seguretat de la regió durant la postguerra.