While progress on the nuclear deal is making it less unthinkable for the US and Iran to have regular diplomatic contact, the two nations appear to be talking around each other on regional issues.
The State Department still surprised many, saying they were open to the possibility of talking to Iran about “regional stability” centering on Syria, saying they would allow Iran to participate in Syrian peace talks if they made unnamed policy changes.
The UN already announced last week that they intend to invite Iran to the next round of peace talks, with or without the American imprimatur. That the State Department is willing to countenance this at all, instead of just railing at it, suggests some progress.
But Iran and the US are on the same side in the ISIS war in Syria and Iraq, whether or not US officials care to admit it. That makes their willingness to talk rather silly, since talking is the obvious thing to do.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry, by contrast, wants to talk with the US about Yemen, a topic that would be a bit more productive since Iran is calling for a ceasefire and the US has been increasingly joining the Saudi war. There’s conflict there, which would make the talks worth having.
Of course, the State Department is having none of it, railing against Iran “promoting instability” in Yemen, and reiterating their support for the Saudi war.
"saying they would allow Iran to participate in Syrian peace talks if they made unnamed policy changes."
That is of course BS US (israeli) fascist new speak meaning: We let you (sort of) join the "civilized" club for a while if you drop Syria for a regime of our choosing and your proposed pipeline so we can destroy what our Wahhabi freaks havn´t destroyed yet and make way for the Qatari pipeline which we favour.
That´s what it´s all about. The only reason why the US fascist regime talks to Iran at all, is the realization that it is indeed a regional super power and that hell on earth awaits them, the world economy and the bloody little US offshoot in occupied Palestine, should they ignore and start bombing it instead.
There is no such thing as civilized agendas in politics that usg or the European present neo liberals government presenting, they are serving their bankers and all other economic institutions as IMF and European centeral bank which has the same agendas as IMF. The Only thing they have in common is their colonialism and fake democracy.
About time! I hope that irksome gnome from Arizona has a fit.