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The Iranians have so far greeted every Obama administration overture to them with tepid-to-hostile reactions. Without reading too much into it — Mahmoud Ahmedinejad does not make the foreign policy of Iran — this would appear to be a change in tone:
“The Iranian people would welcome a hand extended to it if the hand is truly based on honesty,” said Mr. Ahmadinejad in a speech at the central city of Isfahan today. The text of his remarks was reported by Iranian news services.
“Yet, if it has an honest appearance but is dishonest by nature, the Iranian people would give the same response that it gave to George Bush,” he said. “Therefore the change should be in action, not in words.”
Baby steps.
Crossposted to The Streak.
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But here is the point being missed:
Nobody is going to go against Khamenei right now. He monopolized the US-Iran portfolio immediately with his speech on the 1st day of Nowruz when he said essentially ’we’re waiting for you to change, then we’ll change too’.
The regime figures have been issued a talking point, and while it will be disseminated in different ways, through the interlocutors like Rafsanjani and Ayatollah Khatami (not to be confused with the reformist ex-prez) during Friday prayer, or via Ahmadinejad in Esfehan today, they will NOT deviate from the Supreme Leader’s line.
And currently the Supreme Leader is cautiously laying the groundwork for possibilities of progress. So this isn’t really a change in tone, but only a parroting of the talking points already laid out by Khamenei, and repeated by other top figures since.
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PS. Excuse spelling, on Metro on BBerry!
Makes sense. I hope it’s not too optimistic.