by Lt. Col. Sargis Sangari, Special to the Orlando Advocate
On June 10th, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani.
During their press conference, Zarif stated that U.S.-sponsored sanctions imposed on his country are directed against the Islamic Republic. Reading between the lines, this means that from his viewpoint that they are not directed against Iran and the Iranian people.
This was a clear indication to the west that the sanctions and all other steps which have been taken for the purpose of striking a new deal with Iran are succeeding, to the extent that there is now a recognizable gap separating the hardliners and the government of Iran. Whether or not our government and D.O.S. are able to pick up on this not-so-subtle hint by Zarif remains to be seen.
I am not sure whether our systems are able to digest Zarif’s comments and to act on his indicators that Iran is willing to work within the new parameters set by the current administration to achieve a new deal with Iran.
Lt Col. Sargis Sangari is a retired US Army Colonel who saw extensive combat in the Mid East as a Special Operations Forces soldier and who, after retirement, continues to advise the fledgling Assyrian Christian Army in Iraq known as Dwekh Nawsha with his military expertise.