Is Khamenei Preparing Iran For a Nuclear Concession?
Despite his defiant rhetoric, Iran's Supreme Leader may be looking for a way out of the nation's isolation, writes Fatemah Aman. As sanctions take their toll and Iran's Syrian ally weakens, Khamenei’s website has begun stressing the importance of flexibility in dealing with the enemy. But does he have the charisma to silence the hardliners?
Despite his frequent harsh and defiant rhetoric, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may be looking for a way out of Iran’s growing isolation — and finding a precedent for doing so in the history of Shi’ite Islam.
Recently, the Supreme Leader’s website has been stressing the importance of flexibility in dealing with the enemy in order to serve the greater good. Using the occasion of Imam Hassan's birthday on August 4, the website devoted a big chunk of its content to a peace forged by Imam Hassan, the second Shi’ite imam, with his rival Mo’awia in the early days of the Shi’ite sect.
