Brandon Weicker, the author of the new book, The Shadow War. I'm John Batchel. Iran's quest for supremacy.

The 1990s bring a new president and a new view of Iran. This is Bill Clinton and the Clinton administration, followed by George Bush and the Bush administration.

Quickly now, we're seeing America's policy towards Iran evolve.

How would you characterize Mr. Clinton's approach, given that there was that the episode of Iraq had intervened?

Well, Bill Clinton's approach, he typical, so in the book, I kind of show the differences in the political parties in America,

how they deal with the post-Shah Iran. Clinton's approach is very much diplomatic and somewhat

conciliatory or accommodationist, nowhere near what it ended up being under President Obama,

or even under President Carter, but Clinton was definitely more amenable to trying to get a

deal to stabilize relations with the Ayatoll or the Comanius regime of Iran.

And the Clinton administration did not focus on Iran, did focus on Iran?

They were mostly concerned with Baghdad, with Iran.

That's right. Remember, they were enforcing a no-fly zone in the north and the south of Iraq after the 91 Desert Storm.

And to some degree, they were more interested in sort of counterterrorism issues in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

So it was not a primary focus of the government under Bill Clinton,

but certainly they were more defaulting toward, we'll do a deal,

and we'll have diplomacy rather than brinksmanship against Iran.

Ruhalo, how many, the Ayatollah dies in 1989.

The new Ayatollah, Hamanai, who is still in authority,

his approach to America.

What was his opinion at the time?

Was it more than death to America?

I would say there is a high degree of consistency between Kumani and Khamani.

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