Seeds of reconciliation

Iran is asking to buy a half billion dollars worth of wheat and other farm commodities from the United States. Such a deal would blow a gaping hole in the trade embargo Washington maintains against the Islamic revolutionary regime. This would no doubt please the Iranians. American farmers and their lobbies and legislators also like the idea. But a deal on Iran's terms would provide no assurance that it would address prime American concerns: Iran's support of international terrorism, its opposition to Middle East peace talks and its reach for weapons of mass destruction. These are good reasons for not being carried away.

But this is not the whole story. Just last month, unidentified thugs in Tehran were murdering noted dissidents and opposition figures. The West's hopeful cheers for the efforts of moderates to recapture the Iranian revolution for the rule of law were fading. But that was before the stunning official announcement of the arrest of about 10 operatives of the state intelligence agency. A moderate faction identified with President Mohammad Khatami is putting these developments to the service of justice and reform. In revolutionary Iran, control of the security forces runs not to the government but to the religious hierarchy, which is led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran and the United States have grievances dating from the Cold War period but no real conflicts in abiding national interests; they share a concern for the stability and welfare of the Gulf. The murders were a step back in their relations. But the arrests and any trials to come could strengthen the case for restoration of diplomatic relations. Grain sales would fit well in a context in which the interests of both countries were finally being addressed.

-- The Washington Post