Obama Shakes Hands With Zarif, A Step Toward Better US-Iran Relations
In the lead-up to the United Nations General Assembly, speculation ran high about whether US President Barack Hussein Obama and his Iranian counterpart would cap the success of a nuclear deal by shaking on it.
In the end, it was Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who performed the historic gesture, according to a US Administration official.
On 14 July, Iran and 6 world powers ended a 13-year negotiation over its nuclear program.
US-Iran ties had improved although there was “still a long road to travel” before the 2 estranged nations could resume anything resembling normal relations, President Rouhani told a group of senior media editors on 25 September. “We can point to the tangibles, the many steps forward, but there is still a long road to travel,” he said.
“The situation has certainly changed,” said Pres. Rouhani. “We can point to the tangibles, the many steps forward, but there is still a long road to travel.”
The Big Q: What’s in a handshake?
The Big A: A seemingly routine act can mean more than words in the realm of diplomacy, especially among former foes. Think Richard Nixon and Mao Zedong. Or Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat.
Chatter about such a moment taking place between Messrs Obama and Rouhani began to surface in Y 2013, when the election of the Iranian cleric signaled an opening to the US.
That year’s UN gathering found the 2 men in close proximity, but Mr. Obama made a phone call instead. Still, it was the 1st contact between the US and Iran at that level since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
That outreach caused an uproar back in Tehran. On his return, Pres. Rouhani was pelted with eggs by militant groups who oppose any rapprochement with the US, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said the phone call was a mistake.
The rest is history.
Stay tuned…
HeffX-LTN
Paul Ebeling
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