Last December, hundreds of thousands of Iranians protested in support of the current regime in Tehran, reports the China’s national news outlet Xinhua. The pro-regime protesters condemned the anti-regime protests, which they described as “plots against the territorial integrity, national interests, and the Islamic Republic.”
Despite Iran's front of “high level stability,” within the country, some think that the nature of the American-Iranian relationship may evolve due to pro-democracy forces within the country. Journalist and historian Stephen Kinzer argues that Iran is an ideal ally for the United States, reports Tirdad Derakhshani at The Philadelphia Inquirer,
Kinzer, author of “All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror,” believes that Iran's pro-democracy movement will foster a new, more open regime in the Islamic Republic.“The government has lost a lot of legitimacy over the past few months,” Kinzer pointed out, referring to the accusations of corruption in the 2009 presidential elections.
Kinzer continued that Iran has two points of similarity with the United States: “We have long-term strategic interests in common. Second, our societies have a strong democratic flavor.” He added that like the United States, Iran is eager to curb Russian influence and power and “has a deep-seated enmity toward radical Sunni movements like the Taliban.”
However, what Kinzer views as a perfect ally, others may view as a dangerous threat. “It is Iran, a supporter of terrorism now developing the capacity to fire nuclear-tipped missiles, that may pose the greatest threat to global stability and American security,” writes James K. Glassman and Michael Doran for The Wall Street Journal.
Although Glassman and Doran do not propose an alliance with the Islamic Republic, they believe that a “new, less bellicose government taking power in Tehran” will be a realistic way to deal with the threat. They maintain that the United States should support the opposition in Iran.
“Everything that we do, everything that we say -- and everything that we don't do and don't say -- should be coordinated to meet this goal.”
Some characteristics of the opposition are already working in favor of the United States. Stephen Kinzer observes that “Iran is the only country in the Muslim Middle East, perhaps the only Muslim country in the world, where the majority of people are pro-American.”.
Glassman and Doran also believe that the United States can capitalize on the democratic, pro-American environment by supporting the Green Revolution. “Third parties, rather than the US government, should play the main role,” they suggest.
Kinzer is in agreement; he believes that democracy can bloom in Iran as long as the “US can resist the temptation to intervene and allow events to take their own course.”
However, Glassman and Doran advocate US involvement when it comes to technology, communication, and the media. They call for increased funding for Radio Farda and Voice of America satellite TV. They believe that the ultimate message from media involvement should tell Iranians, “Your regime, not the West, wants to keep you down.”
Despite the optimism, tension continues between the United States and the Iranian government. Last Tuesday, Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi issued a statement directed to the adversaries of the Islamic Republic, reports the Tehran Times. He warned that if Iran was attacked, it would take all necessary measures to protect its country, including “targeting foreign warships in the Persian Gulf.”
In spite of US frustration with Iran's lack of cooperation over its nuclear program, Mohammad Akef Jamal at Gulf News argues that a war is unlikely. “The chances of [the US] resorting to military action against Iran seem unlikely, especially since the unstable Middle East would not welcome a new war,” he writes.
Pointing out the importance of oil to Iran's economy, Jamal believes that the United States will continue imposing sanctions on Iran.
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