Talk to US, says leader of embassy takeoverJonathan Spollen, Assistant Foreign Editor
* Last Updated: February 05. 2009 1:05AM UAE
Ebrahim Asgharzadegh never imagined the protest he and his friends were planning to stage at the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 would turn into a 444-day international incident and a defining moment in modern Iranian history.
But the “Iranian hostage crisis”, as it came to be known, spelt the end of US-Iranian relations and had far-reaching consequences for the development of the country.
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Three decades later, things have changed.
The silver-haired Mr Asgharzadegh is hardly recognisable from the bearded youth who stormed the compound that afternoon. His politics have undergone a similar transformation.
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Before long, the one-time darling of the regime became one of its biggest critics and even spent time in prison for his opposition; the man who played a major role in severing relations with the United States is now a vocal advocate for re-establishing ties.
And with the new US president, Barack Obama, making overtures to Iran, Mr Asgharzadegh said he believes now is the time to leave the past behind.
“Obama is open to talk. His coming to power gives us an opportunity to negotiate; we have to use this situation to rebuild our outlook,” he said, adding that co-operation on such common issues as Afghanistan could help build bridges.
Mending relations with the United States would also help Iran “obtain international trust” and enable the country to focus on resolving its domestic problems, he said.
However, Mr Asgharzadegh said, the onus is not only on Iran to improve relations. Any negotiations must proceed on an even footing, he said, so as to not “humiliate” the Islamic republic.
(Much more at link, including discussion of Iran's upcoming presidential election)
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