Given that the recommendation that the USA ought to formally meet with Iran has been on the table for many, many years - recommended by a wide variety of policy papers and think-tank proposals - including many on the 'rightwing' side and including James Baker's "Iraq Study Group", I think it is very likely to happen in the near future. Indeed, it is the ONLY possible path available for possible resolution of the Iraqi debacle.

It is interesting to note that in US foreign policy circles, it is explicitely ONLY the Bush-Cheney-Rice-neocon faction that has disparaged the value of engaging with Iran directly.