Obama’s Remarks Were Sweet but …

US president Barak Obama has never expressed so much hope in the improvement of relations between America and Iran. During the 68^th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Obama make Iran the center piece of his address and by mentioning the history of conflict between the two countries expressed his hope that relations between them would improve. The highest Iranian official present during his address was foreign minister Javad Zarif but without any doubt many in Iran, the US and other countries around the world were eagerly waiting to hear his remarks about Iran just as they were enthusiastic to hear the address by Iran’s new president Hassan Rowhani.

Repairing a Difficult History

In his remarks, President Obama said, “I don’t believe this difficult history can be overcome overnight – the suspicion runs too deep. But I do believe that if we can resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, that can serve as a major step down a long road towards a different relationship – one based on mutual interests and mutual respect.”

Then in another part of his address he said, “The United States and Iran have been isolated from one another since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. This mistrust has deep roots. Iranians have long complained of a history of U.S. interference in their affairs, and America’s role in overthrowing an Iranian government during the Cold War. On the other hand, Americans see an Iranian government that has declared the United States an enemy, and directly – or through proxies – taken Americans hostage, killed U.S. troops and civilians, and threatened our ally Israel with destruction.”

But he also made a reference to his efforts to improve the relations and mentioned his letter to the supreme leader and his most recent letter to Rowhani. He also assured the Iranian regime that, “We are not seeking regime change, and we respect the right of the Iranian people to access peaceful nuclear energy.”

Obama also made an important reference when he said, “Meanwhile, the Supreme Leader has issued a fatwa against the development of nuclear weapons, and President Rowhani has just recently reiterated that the Islamic Republic will never develop a nuclear weapon.  These statements made by our respective governments should offer the basis for a meaningful agreement.”

Obama’s reference to ayatollah Khamenei’s fatwa has probably received the most attention in Iranian media. Iran, the official newspaper of the government of Iran had this headline on Wednesday, “Obama: The Fatwa of Iran’s leader is the basis of an agreement with Tehran” and wrote of the “unprecedented confession of the US president regarding Iran’s nuclear rights.” Another newspaper Jame Jam used the headline differently and added the word “esteemed” as the title for the supreme leader for its heading of “Iran’s esteemed leader has issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons.”

Tasnim security news agency and Resalat hardline newspaper also used these words as the main part of Obama’s speech and the words that the US was not after regime change in Iran. Ghods newspaper has the same headline and in its editorial wrote of “Obama’s confession” that indicated the “righteousness and transparency” of the Islamic republic.

Conservative Jomhurie Eslami newspaper, once headed by ayatollah Khamenei himself, also focused on that the US was not after regime change in Iran.

But the coverage presented by Kayhan, Java and Siasat Rooz were a little different. Kayhan’s large headline read, “Obama again boasted against Iran” and characterized his remarks as “deceitful.” Tasnim, the publication affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, wrote this on its front page: “The revolutionary resistance has humiliated Obama vis-à-vis the supreme leader and the Iranian nation.” Principlist Siasat Rooz headlined, “Obama’s sweet talk” and wrote, “His remarks are indicative of America’s demands from the Iranian nation with new conclusions and he tried to get in one day what the US has been trying to get for years.”

It wrote that Obama’s speech contained beautiful words which could be interpreted as large steps to utilize large carrots along with even larger sticks to impose America’s demands on Iran.  It claimed that Obama tried to create the basis to continue US inimical actions against Iran in the public arena.