A different look at the Iran deal

I am not speaking in defense of the Iran deal. Any such deal must be assessed on its merits and compliance, and I do not have the expertise to assess the former or the access of information to conclude on the latter. That our greatest allies, much of the national security apparatus and experts of the United States, and the President’s own Secretary of Defense are sanguine or believe it can be improved in collective diplomacy tells me a great deal.

I am not speaking in defense of the Iranian regime. The overall track record of treatment of their own people and machinations abroad has been at best one of the great squandering of lives, talent and opportunity in our life times.

I am speaking on behalf of the new generation rising there. 

Having traveled over 300,000 miles in the last 18 months among remarkable entrepreneurs and builders across rising markets, I’ve not seen a greater array of talent, ambition and hope as I have seen there. I wrote my observations in Politico from my last trip over two years ago— how near universal access to technology is connecting young people to know each other, know the world, and build amazing solutions to their challenges in unprecedented and unimaginable ways. How every kid I met had on their smart devices all the apps we have on ours, and were taking classes from around the world on Coursera, Udacity, Khan Academy and more. How disinterested they were in the top down political machinations and want to build, make impact, create livings sufficient to live in their own apartments and raise their families in a new world. How women are among the greatest and most innovative leaders.

All the evidence subsequent I’ve heard from a distance is that what I saw nascent then is taking off despite the political machinations. The largest eCommerce company, Digikala, which had been valued at $300 mm when I was there, apparently just raised a significant round at over $1 billion. The largest ride sharing company, barely on the radar then, similarly raised at hundreds of millions recently and many more are scaling quickly. Innovation is finding answers across the country both in value creation and impact.

 And here’s a key: Their investors and mentors came from around the world especially all over Europe and now China. Even with the deal signed, we are there not at all. We are absent right in the sweet spot of our greatest and most respected strength – technology innovation and entrepreneurship.

There are no cookie cutter answers to the deeply profound and complicated questions of how to support amazing people bottom up while checking their harsh regime top down. I was weened in the days where purists argued either we should disengage entirely with apartheid South Africa or we should double down to help the economy with aide and jobs creation leading to reform. The answer, more often than not, is a combination of the two. 

The central fact today however is this: When we choose to disengage we are no longer (never entirely were) the only game in town. And our ability to lead and co-author solutions in a world of rising new economies with near universal access to technology is based on our word, our consistent actions, our example in innovation and garnering support from the rising generations. The latter in particular want — are thrilled — to engage with our society and our businesses across the United States. But as we turn inward, they will seek and now have alternatives.