Behind Iran’s charm offensive
Immediately after new Iranian President Hasan Rouhani appeared before the U.N. General Assembly for the first time, a blog headline of The New York Times positively gushed, “Rouhani, blunt and charming, pitches a moderate Iran.”
The article, which went on to quote sources calling Mr. Rouhani “clever,” “unflappable,” “composed,” “pragmatic,” “bold” and “a risk-taker,” was indicative of some of the flowery language we have seen heaped upon the new Iranian president by a Western press seemingly eager to adopt the narrative of the new, softer side of an Iran ostensibly bearing an olive branch.
Indeed, much has been made of Mr.… Seguir leyendo »