The long resisted policy of constructive engagement with Tehran is the only alternative to a new war.
Despite the mounting tension with the European Union over allegations about uranium enrichment and other nuclear developments, the mood in Tehran appears to be remarkable buoyant. While western news organisations struggle to find positive things to say about the ongoing political trauma in Iraq, Iranian politicians have been looking forward to developments, including the referendum on the Iraqi constitution.
Despite downplaying the links between Iran and the new government in Iraq, the spokesman for the Majlis parliamentary Foreign Policy Commission, Kazem Jalali, said, ‘Naturally, Iran does have a certain influence in Iraq as a result of its influence with the different groups, namely the Shiites and Kurds’.
