By Said Amir Arjomand
NEW YORK – As world powers meet in Geneva to begin nuclear
talks with Iran, the world awaits the follow-up to the phone call between
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and US President Barack Obama after Rouhani’s
visit to the United Nations General Assembly last month. That brief
conversation – the first between the two countries’ presidents since 1979 –
recalls the last attempt to revive bilateral diplomacy, undertaken 12 years ago
by Iran’s then-President Mohammad Khatami. In both episodes, a missing
handshake symbolized the countries’ persistent rift. Back then, Khatami and Foreign Minister Kamal
Kharrazi “went shopping,” rather than attend a cultural event at the Asia
Society and risk crossing paths – and shaking hands – with US Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright. This time, despite Iran’s avoidance of a presidential
handshake at the UN, Rouhani delivered a major address at the Asia Society
asserting that his government would pursue policies of “moderation and common
sense” and would be willing to work with the West on resolving questions about
its nuclear program.
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