Iran's Vice President: Rouhani and Obama phone call was of huge global significance

[Cali_Democrat]

Saeed Kamali Dehghan
Wednesday 2 October 2013 12.07 EDT

Iran's vice-president has said that the phone conversation between Hassan Rouhani and Barack Obama was of huge global significance and represented a defeat for hardliners in both countries.

Writing for the Guardian, Masoumeh Ebtekar, a vice-president to Rouhani, called on the US administration not to repeat the missed opportunities during Iran's reformist mandate more than a decade ago, which she said cost countless lives in wars in the Middle East.

"These leaders came with a mandate to negotiate and demonstrated their desire to do so with the first presidential telephone conversation between the two sides since 1979. That might appear insignificant, but was of huge global political importance," Ebtekar wrote after Rouhani's return to Tehran from New York.

"This development on both sides succeeded despite strong pressure from hardliners and those looking backward instead of forward within the political context of their respective nations."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/02/obama-rouhani-phone-call-us-iran

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. And Bibi's pissed. I'm beginning to think that Israel might be a HUGE part of the problem.

Netanyahu's rhetoric always seems so confrontational. The international community would be fools not to at least attempt diplomacy with Iran. It may come to naught, but if the unthinkable happens, we can always say we tried.

[SomethingFishy]

2. He's been screaming that Iran will have a nuke in 5 years since 1992

I'd say Netanyahu's credibility on Iran is down the shitter.

[Tarheel_Dem]

4. I don't wish to minimize the concerns of Israelis, because we know that Iran has been a bad actor.

But, to dismiss Rhouani out of hand, just makes people like me scratch our heads. He doesn't even pretend to want a peaceful resolution anymore, and I fear he risks making Israel even more isolated, and that's not good for Israel or the world.

[Junkdrawer]

3. "I'm beginning to think that Israel might be a HUGE part of the problem."

Understatement of the century

[Hutzpa]

8. Beginning?? ISRAEL is the problem in that region. nt

[jon10]

5. trillion dollar phone call

last time a us president called the head of Iran, Obama was a high school senior

warmongers have been itching for war with iran forever

this was bigger than big, and may easily save a trillion dollars in avoiding a war

oh....and all the lives and limbs saved too

[Cha]

6. We knew it huge.. thanks for more confirmation, Cali!

[flamingdem]

7. Good timing as usual