S1/E35: Ali Larijani Greenlights Washington

Iran's Gambit

Today, my focus is on two articles featured in yesterday's edition of Sazandegi newspaper, a publication representing the technocratic elites of Iran. The editor and most of the columnists associated with this newspaper have held governmental responsibilities, which grants them a distinctly pragmatic approach to politics compared to the average Iranian journalist, who is typically oppositional—oppositional to the Cabinet, or oppositional to the opposition! In contrast, Sazandegi adopts a perspective focused on practical political solutions.

Yesterday’s edition of the newspaper featured two particularly intriguing articles—an uncommon occurrence in any daily publication. It’s not every day you find two exceptional articles even in The New York Times, let alone elsewhere.

The first article delves into the political resurgence of Mr. Ali Larijani, the former parliamentary speaker and erstwhile Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Mr. Larijani has re-emerged in Iranian politics and appears highly active in signaling toward the United States. The second article discusses the policy options of the incoming administration of U.S. President-Elect Donald J. Trump vis-à-vis Iran.