Iranians Look for Change In US Policies

The streets of Tehran, despite almost 35 years of the Islamic revolution, didn’t give up the revolutionary touch or the rebellious ambience that tells visitors to the Iranian capital's part of Islamic Iran’s story. Posters of "heroes" who were killed during the eight-year war with Iraq can be seen almost everywhere. So are banners with popular slogans or quotations by the late Imam Ruhollah Khomeini and his successor, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The atmosphere depicts the revolutionaries’ view of Israel and the United States, or what are well-known in post-revolution Iran as the "Small Satan" and the "Big Satan," respectively.

Despite the "Down with America" posters or the "Death to America" chants at every Friday prayer in Tehran, a relatively different ambience was felt in accordance with the two-day long Geneva nuclear talks, which saw both the American and the Iranian delegation meeting face-to-face in another rare encounter that added to Foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, and the historic phone call between President Hassan Rouhani and US President Barak Obama.

"I’m optimistic," said Amir, a student at Tehran University who thinks Iran should open up so that he and others get the chance to develop and work. "I’m happy the ice has broken. Maybe two or more positive steps will build mutual confidence, and then I’m sure things will definitely change."

But what is the change Amir is looking for? Amir thinks that Iran and the US are great nations. "We can work things together; the United States made mistakes and we, too, but that doesn’t mean we are the ‘Axis of Evil" nor are they ‘The Great Satan,'" he elaborated. "Direct talks are going to change many things; for me as a student, I hope this time things will work."

Amir’s optimism was boosted by statements and stances he heard from Geneva, some via state-owned television, or via satellite channels. He and others like him are enthusiastic to see the happy ending changing their lives. The main change that is hoped for here in Tehran is a decision by the United States and its allies to lift the years-long sanctions on Iran.

Zahra graduated 10 years ago as a political scientist; with her modern-style veil and full makeup you won’t mistake her for a non-religious Iranian who might be a supporter of better relations with the West. This wasn’t the case; Zahra opposed any kind of relations with the United States. "I don't trust America," she said. "We’ve never had any good experience with them. The Americans want us to be followers, that’s all what they want, and that won’t be." She explained how she couldn’t forget how the US Navy killed 290 Iranians on an Iran Air flight by launching missiles at it. "I can’t forget that incident, and I’ll make sure to make my children know about it. We have 290 Iranian families that lost their beloved ones, but nobody cares because the criminal here is America."

Zahra and Amir present the two points of view battling silently, till now, in the backstage of Iranian politics over the structure, the shape, and the depth of any future US-Iranian rapprochement. This can be seen in the way newspapers representing both currents are dealing with the issue. According to Foad Izadi, a professor of world studies at the University of Tehran, "There are people inside the country that judge the United States according to actions. They look at the sanctions, the political and economical difficulties Iran is going through because of US policies: Those see that nothing has changed, so to them the United States will continue to be the ‘Great Satan.’ There is another camp that think such terminologies are causing tensions and they don’t subscribe to the idea."

Izadi, who graduated from Louisiana State University, believes that the United States needs to change its policies toward Iran so that it won’t be seen by some here as a "Great Satan." "Since 1953, Iranians, religious or not, secular or nationalist, see the United States interfering in Iran and causing destruction and death. Their support to the Shah, their role in forming the Shah’s notorious security arm, Savak, the support they gave to Saddam Hussein during his war on Iran, it’s the Americans who gave themselves this image, so it’s they who can change it."