It was encouraging to hear both presidential candidates mention diplomacy with Iran during the debate this week, but I'm concerned that some people in Congress are already saying that the time for talking with Iran is over.

It is imperative that whoever wins the presidency supports real, sustained diplomacy and that members of Congress work toward this goal. As former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Pickering recently wrote, "Patient, committed diplomacy is the only way to realize the long-term and durable objectives of an Iran without nuclear weapons and a region without war."

Tammi Dreier

O'Fallon