What would happen if Bush never held the state of the union speech in 2002, which invented the term 'axis of evil'? Say due to a high ranking diplomat telling him that such a speech while it might be good on national lines would make it infinitely more difficult to do diplomacy.
IIRC Iran was actually willingly cooperative with capturing of Al-Qaeda members (although cynical voices might say primary due to their differing denomination of Islam) together with US until they got typecasted into supporting them by the speech, understandlingly leading to them pulling out not willing to support US one inch and depending on who you ask and what you believe, even willing to turn the blind eye towards said members with the implicit understanding that they're there against US.