Tehran, YJC. There has been a lot of controversy whether it was Iran or the US asking for the groundbreaking phone call between presidents Hassan and Hussein.
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On the
last day of Rouhani's visit to New York, a curious story was reported by media,
saying that the Iranian and American presidents had had a 15-min conversation
over the telephone.
Shortly
after the call, the US president Barack Obama in a press conference pointed to
some of the issues which he had discussed with his Iranian counterpart. The Iranian
presidential website also enumerated the topics of the conversation.
But
what caused quite a bit of agitation in Iran was an announcement by US
officials who said that the phone call had been requested by the Iranian president.
Regardless
of the political aspects of which side requested the call, political practice
would that Iran had requested it, since it was said that upon his arrival in
New York, Rouhani had turned down an invitation by the White House to meet Obama.
Therefore,
to show that it does not refuse to receive relations between the two countries,
Iran must have shown its good-will by requesting the phone call as political
manners would have it.
By such
a request, Iran could have attracted positive looks in two ways. First, it
would have repelled accusations of negative approach to mutual cooperation
while moving within established political norms. Second, it would have upheld
the genteel image for which Iranians are well known.
* Hossein Amiri