56 DECEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL issues were possible. Miller believed that this was a critical step in moving the two countries into negotiations. When official talks finally got underway, members of the Search group collaborated on detailed technical papers on how to overcome obstacles. Particularly important was a plan co-authored by three participants—Frank von Hippel, Hossein Mousavian, and Alex Glaser—to redesign the Arak heavy water reactor into a device with far less yield of plutonium and to convert 20 percent enriched uranium into fuel plates. This paper provided the basis for eventually resolving the issue. As Foreign Minister Zarif said in 2016: “I have used what I learned from you when we last met in the negotiations, particularly on conversion of the fuel to oxide form, the limit of the number of centrifuges, and conversion of the Arak reactor. … You can claim parenthood in this endeavor. Thank you for putting the road in place for us to follow.” Zarif’s American negotiating partner, Secretary of State John Kerry, similarly stated in a 2017 interview: “During the Iran talks, the fresh ideas you provided helped us to achieve a breakthrough on the Arak heavy water reactor.” By establishing a credible forum to examine nuclear issues in a mutually respectful manner, Search provided a testing ground for innovative ideas and helped to build trust, which was necessary for eventual negotiations to succeed. Despite our disappointment at the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018, we still were pleased to have contributed as much as we had. We had proved to be ahead of the curve. As Track II diplomats, we had fulfilled our mission of complementing, supplementing, and sometimes anticipating official policy decisions with the invaluable assistance of retired career members of the U.S. Foreign Service, professional diplomatic practitioners. e In the turbulent and fast-changing world of the 21st century, the need for unofficial diplomacy and effective social entrepreneurship can only grow. Senior-level diplomats casting about for meaningful ways to put their skills to use in a follow-on career would be wise to take note. n
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