In three and a half years the Bush administration has tried engaging Iran, but little has come of its efforts.

Obama ascended to the presidency vowing to engage Iran in dialogue about its nuclear weapons programme.

We remain committed to engaging Iran and to address the international community's genuine concerns regarding its nuclear programme.

Washington has swung in recent years between trying to engage Iran and continuing to treat it as an outcast.

Most worrying, he is hinting at engaging Syria and Iran not diplomatically but militarily.

"We do think it fortifies the case for engaging Iran."

Among the task force's primary recommendation was to directly engage Iran on a diplomatic level regarding Iranian nuclear technology.

Johnson told the Daily Caller that the United States has not engaged Iran diplomatically in a serious manner.

The objective remains to engage Iran in a phased approach of confidence building, leading to meaningful negotiations on the nuclear programme.

We should have engaged Iran in Iraq years ago.