With the main focus of the media circuits this past week being Washington’s debates about government shutdown and the debt ceiling, a rather heartening story was buried. For the first time in over 30 years, ranking government officials from the United States sat down to converse with Iran. United States Secretary of State John Kerry met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in New York with China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and Germany. The focus of the meeting was on Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and whether or not talks could be resumed to restore relations between Iran and the West regarding this contentious issue.
After the meeting, Zarif told reporters, “We hope to be able to make progress towards resolving this issue in a timely fashion based on respecting the rights of the Iranian people to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment. And, at the same time, making sure that there is no concern at the international level that Iran’s nuclear program is anything but peaceful.”
The potential for recommenced relations between the two countries probably came about with the election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who ran a moderate platform that included restoring relations with Western nations. He danced around NBC News anchor Ann Curry’s question about whether he believed the Holocaust was a myth, which his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had been accused. Rouhani did say that, “What is important for us is that the countries of the region and the people grow closer to each other, and that they are able to prevent aggression and injustice.” This tone has President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry cautiously optimistic about future relations between the two nations.
It seems that the Iranian people are split on opinions of Rouhani’s meeting. Reuters reports that after Rouhani’s trip to the U.N. General Assembly, he and President Obama were able to speak on the phone for 15 minutes last Friday. When Rouhani returned home Saturday, about 100 conservative hardliners shouted “Death to America,” but the majority of people instead showed up to support their president and what they believe to be “constructive interaction” with the world.
Clearly, relations between the two nations have been tense for years, and communications have been nonexistent. That said, I am writing to express support for the actions of the Obama administration in renewing diplomatic relations with the country. The olive branch extended by President Rouhani should be taken seriously. Caution, of course, should dictate relations from here on outward, but in order for a peaceful resolution to our long-standing conflict to arise, both countries have to be able to come to the table to speak frankly about national and world interests. If some agreement can be reached that is in the best interests of the United States, Iran and the world, we would be remiss not to take the chance. When I read the news of these meetings, I was filled with a sense of careful optimism, and I hope that our two nations can work to restore amity, not only for us but for other countries in the region.
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