Iran at Russia 2018: A dream 20 years in the making

Samiran Mishra

20th May 2018 | 11:00 PM

It is tough to profile Iran without thinking about the summer of ’98, when they played USA in a World Cup match against the backdrop of the Gulf War. The Iranians chose the occasion for a peace message, presenting white roses to their counterparts. This summer, however, they’ll come stronger and more hopeful than ever.
Iran vs USA, France 1998. Artwork by Fabrizio Birimbelli.
Iran vs USA, France 1998. Artwork by Fabrizio Birimbelli.

In January 1998, the then Iranian President Mohammad Khatami sat down for an interview with CNN and requested for a “dialogue of civilisations” with the United States of America. Khatami was a fairly progressive politician whose electoral campaign had run on promises of reform, tolerance and freedom of expression.

But relationship between Iran and the US had been prickly since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Khatami was supposed to put an end to that as he was open to the idea of re-establishing diplomatic ties with the West and welcomed foreign investment in the country.

The Clinton administration had imposed heavy sanctions and a total embargo on dealings with Iran by American companies three years earlier. Citing quotes from Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy In America, Khatami drew parallels between the American and Iranian quest for freedom from oppression.

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