Iran’s Parliament Backs U.S. Outreach

Could it really be that the 34-year diplomatic freeze with Iran was all just a misunderstanding? Iran’s Parliament on Wednesday backed President Hassan Rouhani’s diplomatic outreach to the U.S.—a huge step, given that the Parliament is controlled by political factions who are loyal to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei himself has yet to comment on Rouhani’s trip to the U.S., which included a phone chat with President Obama. Rouhani told the United Nations General Assembly last week that Iran is willing to participate immediately in “time-bound” negotiations on its nuclear program. But not everyone is happy: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday called Rouhani’s comments a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”