Editorial
Release of US hikers
A possible shift in direction?
The recent release of the two American hikers is a positive statement in the visibly new shifts in US-Iranian relations. The 1979 Iranian Revolution in which the monarchy was overthrown and replaced by an Islamic Republic gave way to tense mutual mistrust and lack of understanding not only between Iran and the United States but also between Iran and other Western countries.
In recent times however, there seems to have been a shift in the tightened and rigid policies which the two had embarked upon.
The political situation within Iran rings of conflict between President Ahmadinejad and the religious clerics in which it seems clear that between the two, the President is not the one who possesses real political power. Despite this fact, what has arisen is a common loosening of sorts of Iran's vision and attitudes towards the West and vice versa. It seems clear that the Ahmadinejad and the Ayatollahs have shifted towards a new found pragmatism leading to a more liberal attitude towards the West.
For its part, the United States has also taken a less hostile, stance towards Iran. Very recently, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton had stated as did President Ahmadinejad that the two American hikers jailed in Iran for the last two years on suspicions of spying would be released within a few days. Could this suggest some sort of a back door negotiation between the two countries?
This would certainly be a much-awaited and welcome shift in the foreign policies of both Iran and the US. With the mounting tensions in the relations between Turkey and Israel due to the killing of Turkish citizens by Israel and the perennial conflicts between Israel and Palestine, flexible and friendly relations between the US and Iran would be a much welcome change.
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