The challenge of Iran-U.S. dialogue

By our staff writer
Iran officially announced on Sunday that it has responded positively to a request by the United States to hold direct talks on Iraq.

It will be the first time that Iran and the U.S. sit face-to-face for direct talks since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Even though the two sides have announced that the talks will only focus on the issue of security in Iraq, the fact that direct dialogue is finally taking place may act as a catalyst for future discussions on long-running disputes between the two sides.

Over a quarter of a century of division has given rise to a “wall of distrust” between the two countries.

Yet, officials and political analysts regard direct talks as the best avenue for settling differences, especially issues as sensitive as the nuclear dispute between Tehran and Washington.

“I was heartened to see that the United States and Iran are finally, evidently, going to sit down and talk. I've been calling for engagement with Iran for four years,” Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska said.

Even in personal disputes, direct interaction is more productive and effective than exchanging ideas through intermediaries.

Ironically, Iran and the U.S. have a number of common interests in the region.

The democratically elected government of Iraq is a friend of the U.S. and Iran, and both countries are trying to help it establish security.

Iran wants regional stability.

Thus, the accusations of certain U.S. officials that Iran is playing an unhelpful role in Iraq are absurd.

Whether the U.S. likes it or not, Iran is a major regional power with great political and spiritual influence. It is in the United States’ interests to accept Iran’s influence as a reality, though it may be a bitter pill to swallow, and to stop leveling accusations against the Islamic Republic based on prejudices.

In fact, it will be possible to build trust in other matters of disagreement if the U.S. shows goodwill.

However, if the U.S. only wants to use Iran’s spiritual influence in Iraq as a tool to reduce the rising public discontent at home over the Iraq war in order to pretend that it is seeking every means to find a face-saving way to withdraw from Iraq, without making some goodwill gesture toward Iran, this will be interpreted as an insincere move which will only lead to more distrust of U.S. intentions and more animosity toward the United States.