Bina Darabzand
1/10/2013
As Rouhani’s Deputy in Parliamentary Affairs is scheduled to
meet the Majlis (Parliament) administrators today, to report on “Rouhani’s
achievement in NY”, cracks began to appear on the thin ice of IR-US diplomacy.
The
first indication of this crack was Obama’s announcement after the visit of
Israel’s PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying “All options, including military action
are not off the table”. This statement immediately became the headline of all hardliners’
websites and publications in the Islamic Republic, followed by harsh
commentaries by hardline leaders that had been put on the defensive during the
last few days.
The
common line of this new offensive by the hardliners is that “US intentions
towards IR have always been sinister and this will never change”. Therefore,
"Rouhani and his team of negotiators are over optimistic and naïve in
their new approach of diplomacy."
Of course, the response of IR foreign minister to Obama’s
announcement did not help the matter. Javad Zarif’s response came as tweets
saying: “President Obama needs consistency to promote mutual confidence. Flip
flop destroys trust and undermines US credibility.” And “Pres. Obama’s
presumption that Iran is negotiating because of his illegal threats and
sanctions is disrespectful of a nation, macho and wrong.”
Also, the
Islamic Republic’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in a press conference today,
stated: “We expect the American authorities’ behavior to be based on realism
towards IRI and converse respectfully with the Iranian nation… Of course, the pressures of the
Zionist Regime, now that they are isolated and angry with acceptance of the
moderate government’s policies by the world, will continue."
The IR moderates, on the other hand, after enjoying a few
days of offensive position, have been
pushed back to their more familiar grounds of the past 35 years.
Sadegh Zibakalam, who has been a vocal supporter of Rouhani’s new approach to US and direct talks between
Rouhani and Obama, had to defend the route of the current negotiations by
stating: “So far, no points have been given to US by Rouhani to expect points
in return.”
Presidential adviser
Hesamadin Ashena, who was with Rouhani in his trip to NY, took a different
approach to justify Obama’s statement. In his interview with IRIB, he
points out the need for Iranian people to “understand Obama’s position”. He
said that Obama is in the midst of a “budget dispute with conservatives.” Then
he asked: “Was there a hint of instability in principles in Zarif’s
meeting with Kerry? We, who were there,
say that there was no transience…They say the president has no rights to
negotiate. Who says that? The Majlis (Parliament) says that? The supreme leader
says that? Or the people? Except for the Zionist regime, there is no red line for the president. It is his
duty to negotiate with the president of the
US to lift the sanctions.”
