"... Perhaps we're seeing a bit of that pushback now against Iran, in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq & Afghanistan..."

Ignatius/ here

"..... White House officials argue that their strategy of engagement has been a form of pressure, and the evidence supports them. Compared with a year ago, Iran is far more divided internally; it has lost much of its legitimacy within the Muslim world, with the regional balance of power tipping the other way for the first time in years; and it is more isolated internationally, no longer able to count on Russia as a reliable patron.....

In thinking about Iran, it's useful to recall how Washington dealt with the empty vessel that was the Soviet Union. To encourage its eventual crackup, the United States adopted a mix of diplomacy and sanctions; it spoke out about human rights violations, but it never stopped trying to negotiate arms control agreements. Even as it engaged the Russians, it consistently criticized communist rule.

U.S. policy toward the Soviets had one additional noteworthy feature, especially during the Reagan years, and that was its stress on combating Moscow's covert action network. Wherever the Soviets tried to meddle during the 1980s, the United States was there, too. Nicaragua, Cambodia, Angola -- they were small campaigns, but they sent a message. Perhaps we're seeing a bit of that pushback now against Iran, in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan......"