Tehran’s domestic battles begin

by Gareth Smith December 1, 2007

written by Gareth Smith December 1, 2007

Western media reaction to last month’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran’s nuclear program sounded chillingly like the beat of war drums. Even supposedly reputable outlets seized on the line — from British spin doctors — that Iran had “failed to come clean.” In fact, the report recognized that Iran had improved its cooperation with the IAEA, in line with a decision Tehran took in August despite growing western belligerence. The US and British-led plan is undermining the pragmatists in Tehran. Hence, last month’s announcement of spying charges against Hossein Mousavian, the former Iranian security official who played a leading role in nuclear negotiations with the Europeans. I found Mousavian an urbane and intelligent man when I interviewed him several times in 2004 and 2005. He was one of the three Iranians leading talks with the European Union. That was a time when Iran suspended key parts of

Gareth Smith

Gareth Smith was a distinguished journalist who reported from the Middle East for over two decades. He served as the Financial Times correspondent in Tehran, where he was the chief Iran correspondent from 2003, following his earlier role as Lebanon correspondent. Throughout his career, Smith covered Middle Eastern affairs for leading media outlets, including The Financial Times, The Guardian, and the BBC. He also contributed as an editor to Executive magazine. His work as a freelance journalist in the 1990s, focusing on the politics of Iran and Iraq, paved the way for his appointment at the FT. In 2009, he relocated to the west coast of Ireland, where he balanced freelance journalism with his passion for nature and the land.

Tehran’s domestic battles begin

You may also like