Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Vladimir Sazhin, senior political scientist of the Oriental Studies Institute of the RAS
Nothing can happen in Iran without the Supreme Leader.
Even birds don’t fly there without a decision of the Supreme Leader.
Therefore, the events of 2012 were approved by Ayatollah Khamenei.
The coming of the liberal president Hassan Rouhani to office in Iran
was also a decision by Ayatollah Khamenei and his circle.
The policy which was declared by the new president –
improvement of relations with Western Europe and the USA – was also approved by Khamenei.
Positive steps can be seen in settlement of the nuclear problem.
The Geneva conference which predetermined further development of the nuclear program of Iran
at least for a half of a year gave grounding in serious discussions, a serious dialogue,
in establishing of a legal base between 5+1 and Iran, between the IAEA and Iran.
It is a positive moment, and of course it is controlled by Ayatollah Khamenei.
However, the Islamic Republic of Iran is an ideology-driven state.
Nothing is possible there without ideology.
Clearly, the USA was “a big shaitan” for Iran for 36 years.
Considering the situation which appeared due to sanctions,
Iran had to agree with accords which were signed in Geneva.
Of course it is real diplomacy, but at the same time ideology remains ideology,
and the Supreme leader Khamenei could not but make several anti-American and anti-Western statements
to balance the real policy and ideological propaganda.