Positive news on the Iranian front

After decades of hard feelings and not being able to see eye-to-eye on hardly anything, the United States and Iran are edging closer towards one another.

And this move should be applauded. The two leaders, US President Barack Obama and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, have shown that they have the courage to reach out to one another. 

Needless to say, improved US-Iran bilateral ties would make this world a better place.

When it comes to the historical mistrust between various elements in Iran and the United States, one can go back several decades, to the time when America helped toppled a democratically elected nationalist, Mohammed Mosaddegh, and replaced him with, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran. It was a move that set the stage for an anti-US movement and feeds into a distorted but disturbing narrative that sees the US as out to destroy the entire Muslim world.

Beside the anti-US sentiment, the stage was also set for the religious circle, the mullahs, to take over the country and rule it in a way that they see fit. And the manner in which these religious leaders ruled the country doesn’t necessary reflect the desire of local people, especially the current generation, many of whom want better relations with the West and the US. 

Obama told the media that the two governments should be able to reach “a meaningful agreement” aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear programme. US Secretary of State John Kerry joined a meeting with his Iranian counterpart several days ago – the first top-level contact between the countries in years.

Rouhani’s charm offensive included a call for “time-bound and results-oriented talks”. He wrote a newspaper article that promised “constructive dialogue” and even tweeted holiday greetings to Jews. Back in Iran, he called for the release of some political prisoners. 

While these gestures of goodwill should be welcomed, Iran has to do much more to convince the international community they are serious about peace. In spite of sanctions, much of this past decade saw Iran steadily building its capacity to enrich uranium and there is nothing to suggest that the country would deviate from that route. 

Rouhani’s pitch to the international community included the admission the Holocaust was not a hoax, something his predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had suggested. 

An optimist might paint Rouhani as a man who is pursuing a more moderate course. But let’s not fool ourselves into putting all hopes in this unchartered course.

Rouhani came to the United Nations’ General Assembly in New York to preserve Iran’s national interest. If being nice to the Jews and agreeing to talk to the Americans serves that interest, and eases sanctions, so be it. 

But one has to wonder if peace is really on his mind. We really hope that he is sincere – and not sending out the right signals for all the wrong reasons. 

Iran can, and should, build on this charm offensive by opening its doors to international inspectors from the United Nations.