The question that is often raised these days has to do with how US-Iranian relations and political confrontation will evolve after the expected US surgical strike against Syria. The coming to power of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and the new pragmatic, moderate team he put together, mainly with the appointment of Javad Zarif as foreign minister, indicate a willingness for change in Iran. Some would like to argue that his lectionaries were facilitated by the supreme guide himself, who could have obstructed the success of Rouhani, if he so wanted.

Thus, his election, according to this reading, was a message of openness to change on the part of the supreme guide — a policy that aims to end the rigid, highly ideological and confrontational policies of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which could not have been possible without at least the tacit approval of the supreme guide. The other interpretation of Rouhani’s success considers that it was a normal reaction to the confrontational policies of his predecessor. They were policies, which caused a lot of problems for Iran, mainly in the economic field, due to the sanctions that were applied.

Regardless of which explanation is correct, or the fact that it could be a mixture of the two, there is a readiness in Iran for accommodation with the United States and the West — a readiness that is also encouraged by changes in the Arab world, which will definitely impact the emerging Middle East regional order. Iran has a history of cooperation with the United States, whether open or tacit. This history was based on working understandings concerning Afghanistan. Furthermore, such cooperation was evident in Iraq. Yet, currently, the two countries are increasingly competing as to who will have better influence on their shared friends.

Iran has also witnessed two pragmatic leaders, Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, who were willing to strike a deal with the United States, but only on the condition that their right to the atom was maintained, something that commands a wide consensus at home in Iran. Among other things, it is a symbol of pride and of the recognition of Iran’s important regional status. However, the United States had embarked on a confrontation course with Iran. From Tehran’s perspective, the nuclear issue should be on the negotiation table with the United States. It should be part of a list of issues, starting with recognizing Iran’s status as a great regional power.