An Iranian academic says the rapprochement between Iran and the United States will be possible if Washington pursues a realistic approach to Tehran,Press TVreports.The win-win situation is for the United States to put aside its excuses. It has to come to terms with the reality and if the United States behaves in a rational and realistic way with Iran, then rapprochement is something that is reachable, Mohammad Marandi, a Tehran University professor, said Tuesday.
He acknowledged earlier remarks by Iranian President Hassan Rohani that the US has not yet responded to the message of Iran election, saying Washington basically interprets events in a way that suits itself.
He added that the US misrepresentation of the situation in Iran has led to its continuous mistakes over the last three decades.
However, there is yet another opportunity for the United States to rethink its policies towards Iran and to behave in a more rational manner, unlike its previous behavior, he noted.
What President Rohani was saying was that, if the United States changes its behavior towards Iran [rapprochement will be possible]. In other words American deeds are what is important for Iran. Then there is definitely a very good opportunity to move in a positive direction and toward rapprochement, Marandi said.
He explained that Iran needs to see real actions by the United States and if Washington behaves appropriately it will receive an appropriate response.
Addressing reporters on Tuesday, Irans President Rohani said the Islamic Republic is closely monitoring all measures taken by the United States and will respond properly to Washingtons practical and constructive moves.
What is important for us is the US administrations practical response and not statements, Rohani added.
In response to a question about the latest round of sanctions endorsed by US lawmakers against Iran, Marandi said the US political elites are very much influenced by lobbies that are working in the interest of foreign governments rather than those of the US.
He added that Iran is not sure about whether the Congress sees things differently from US President Barack Obama or whether this is a good cop, bad cop-like scenario.
If the US president is opposed to the acts that the Congress is pursuing then that shows that the US president is very weak because if he is unable to stand up to the Congress and say that these policies are wrong, they prevent rapprochement, they prevent the improvement of relations with Iran, if he does not have the courage to say that, then that shows that he is a weak president, the Iranian commentator added.
Marandi noted that world countries are witnessing that new sanctions are imposed against Iran before the new president comes to power and warned that they would be thinking about resetting their own ties with Tehran.
It will cause friction between them and the United States, so it will isolate the United States if they continue with this sort of behavior, he pointed out.
The US has imposed several rounds of illegal sanctions on Iran, which Washington claims to be aimed at pressuring Tehran to abandon its nuclear energy program.
In its latest measure against Iran, the US House of Representatives last Wednesday approved a bill to impose tougher sanctions on Tehrans oil exports and financial sector.
The bill, which must be approved by the Senate and signed by President Obama to become law, seeks to cut Iran's oil exports by one million barrels per day over a year.
Tehran has categorically rejected Western accusations, arguing that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and a committed member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
By Press TV
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