friends and enemies

diplomatic relations change. where for decades the u.s. brushed aside the communist party of china and provided all our support to the kuomingtang and taiwan, friendlier relations with the people’s republic became an eventuality. russia and the u.s. are frienemies, for lack of a better word, allies at each other’s throats. and we’re slowly warming to cuba. slowly.

 

but diplomatic relations don’t change quickly and iran’s sudden smile does not seem completely genuine.

 

while new attempts to reach out to western europe and the u.s. from the newly elected iranian president hassan rouhani could be genuine, the sudden supportiveness of the supreme religious leader of iran, the grand ayatollah khamenei, seems suspect. this man has vehemently denounced the united states and squashed any iranian support for negotiations with western countries. turning on a dime the ayatollah now supports the rouhani effort to work with the united states.

 

the burgeoning possible diplomatic relations with iran could indicate two developments: the economic pressure put upon iran has either convinced its leaders to work with western europe and the united states to regulate and survey and suspend its nuclear development or the iranians realize that with a little bit of a sugar and a lot more stalling they can complete their goals and lift the economic squeeze on its population.

 

“Iran has achieved the ability to enrich uranium up to 20 percent purity, and it is then relatively easy to increase enrichment to 90 percent.”

 

though i think the world should be cautious in its trust of the iranian supreme leader, what else can we do but embrace diplomacy and flexibility? the international community must come to completely embrace non-proliferation and demand that every community follow suit. at the same time we must show compassion for every population and patience in brokering agreements with the leaders protecting these populations.

 

if iran is reaching out to us now, what can we do but cautiously resume negotiations and hope we do not get burned?