Seyed Mohammad Marandi is a soft-spoken and articulate scholar who has been described by some in the western media as the “the biggest monster of the century”. The professor at Tehran University laughs off this description. He rather focuses his energy on explaining Iran’s position on various international issues on CNN, NBC, RT and Al-Jazeera – views that are rarely heard and appreciated in western capitals.
Born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1966 to an Iranian professor and a political prisoner under the Shah regime, Marandi spent his first 13 years in the US, where he grew to love NFL football and Dallas Cowboys. Marandi was raised in an upscale neighbourhood in Dayton, Ohio, in the 1970s. When his family moved back to Iran after the Shah regime was overthrown in the revolution of 1979, he started to improve his Farsi and getting to know his country better. Three years later, he took up arms and fought in the Iran-Iraq war, during which he was injured four times.
Today, Marandi is professor of North American Studies and dean of the Faculty of World Studies at the University of Tehran. He is also the most well-known Iranian voice on Iran and other regional issues. In an interview with Shobhan Saxena, the professor talks about the significance of nuclear deal talks between Iran and P5+1 at Lausanne, the possibility of the final deal, its implications for the region, the threat from Islamic State and Iran’s role in the Middle East. Excerpts from the interview:
Till a few years ago the US administration had been talking in terms of “all options, including a military strike, on the table” as far as Iran’s nuclear programme was concerned. But today, two old adversaries – Iran and the US – are on the verge making a deal on nuclear programme and sanctions. How did this change happen?
Of course we still do not have a deal and the US is still making threats against the Iranian people, but the main reason for the change we have seen so far in the Western approach towards Iran has been the steadfastness of the Iranians and their determination to keep their peaceful nuclear programme despite the enormous pressure from Western countries and the targeting of ordinary Iranians through punitive sanctions.
It’s not a done deal yet. There are two versions of the agreement reached in Lausanne. Washington has described it as a good deal as it ‘practically puts a lid on Iran’s nuclear programme’. The West seems to have got what they wanted. Did Iran get a fair deal?
I do not think the Western countries got what they sought. They were determined to take Iran’s sovereign right to have a peaceful nuclear programme and the ability to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and they failed to do that. They claim that they are trying to prevent Iran from producing a nuclear weapon but there has never been any evidence provided that Iran’s nuclear programme has ever been anything but peaceful. Iranians believe that the confrontational approach by the West has always been about containing Iran because of its independent foreign policy, and that the nuclear programme has been used as an excuse to put pressure on Iranians.
In his comments soon after the announcement of a deal in Lausanne, US President Barack Obama claimed that as per the agreement Iran would be subjected to more intrusive inspection by international inspectors than any other country. Why do you think he said so?
The Iranian foreign Minister [Dr Javad Zarif] has said specifically that the American interpretation of the agreement is not consistent with reality. I think the US President is trying to put a particular spin on the negotiations to sell the deal at home.
The possibility of lifting of western sanctions against Iran has created quite a positive mood in your country. There have been scenes of celebrations in Tehran. Are people really happy? What kinds of debates are happening around it?
I do not think there was euphoria in most of the country. I think it’s fair to say that it created significant optimism, yet ever since Obama has spoken and the US has given its own so-called “fact sheet”, which is inconsistent with the Iranian version of the results of the negotiations, there has been growing concern that the United States may again be insincere at the negotiating table. Iranians have had many bad experiences with the United States at the negotiating table. The Americans have quite often said one thing and done something different. There are a lot of debates taking place on television channels in Iran as well as other media outlets, but I think it’s fair to say that the political establishment and the population at large have confidence in the Iranian nuclear negotiators.
If and when the sanctions are lifted by the western governments, what would it mean for the Iranian economy, businesses and ordinary people?
I think it will definitely have an impact on the economy, and it will make it easier for Iran to import and export goods, but as long as Western countries continue to pursue hostile policies towards Iran, I think the Iranian government will continue to pursue a policy of focusing on trade and development with non-western countries. But despite the fact that it will have a positive impact on the economy, I think anyone who has visited Tehran recently would have noticed that the sanctions have not had nearly as much of a negative impact on the lifestyle of ordinary Iranians as western governments had hoped.
There are reports of some cooperation between the two sides against ISIS in Iraq. Have the US and its allies realised that they need to work with Tehran for peace in the region?
The reality is that the United States, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE bear great responsibility for the rise of extremism in the region. It is well documented how western countries and oil-rich Arab regimes used extremists to overthrow the Libyan government. It is well documented that former senior al-Qaeda members, such as Abdul Hakim Belhaj, were deeply involved in Libya, and from there, they were sent to Turkey, a NATO member, to help strengthen extremist organisations in Syria to help overthrow the government.
The US Vice-President [Joe Biden] recently admitted that US regional allies created and funded ISIL, and, of course, the Nusra Front, which is the al-Qaeda branch in Syria, is being supported as we speak by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the Israeli regime and Qatar through the Jordanian and Turkish borders. Just recently, we witnessed the Nusra Front cooperate with ISIL to take the Yarmouk refugee camp in the suburbs of Damascus. More recently, we see that the Saudis and al-Qaeda in Yemen are fighting together against the new Yemeni political order. I think the United States recognises that Wahhabism, the official Saudi ideology, is an ideology that is a threat to global stability and that it is getting out of control in places like Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, Pakistan, and more recently in Australia and France. Hence, there is a strong incentive among some in the US political establishment to begin shifting away from Saudi-funded extremism. But I still think we have to wait and see if there is the will to bring about real change in Washington.
Despite its rich history and culture – even popular culture like films – Iran is often depicted in the western media and Hollywood as a “dangerous and backward” country. Is this depiction out of ignorance or has it been a deliberate ploy to show Iran as the “bad guy” to make the West look like the “good guy”?
Yes, this is well documented, and Iran has been depicted as irrational, dangerous and a threat to human existence. The only thing left that Iran has not been blamed for, it seems, is global warming! However, the irony is that these characteristics that they attribute to Iran can really be attributed to American and Western regional allies, as well as the ethno-centric ideologies of Wahhabism and Zionism.
There is still around 90 days to go before the final deal is put on paper in black and white and signed by all sides. A lot can happen in this period. What do you think can endanger the final deal?
Many in Washington are working hard alongside the Israelis and the Saudis to prevent a deal from happening. They will do anything to prevent a resolution to this conflict from taking place.
Is the West and Iran now ready to work together?
I believe the Iranians have always been ready to work with the West. In three months we will see if the West will respect Iran’s sovereignty and to show the Iranian people the respect they deserve.
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Born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1966 to an Iranian professor and a political prisoner under the Shah regime, Marandi spent his first 13 years in the US, where he grew to love NFL football and Dallas Cowboys. Marandi was raised in an upscale neighbourhood in Dayton, Ohio, in the 1970s. When his family moved back to Iran after the Shah regime was overthrown in the revolution of 1979, he started to improve his Farsi and getting to know his country better. Three years later, he took up arms and fought in the Iran-Iraq war, during which he was injured four times.
Today, Marandi is professor of North American Studies and dean of the Faculty of World Studies at the University of Tehran. He is also the most well-known Iranian voice on Iran and other regional issues. In an interview with Shobhan Saxena, the professor talks about the significance of nuclear deal talks between Iran and P5+1 at Lausanne, the possibility of the final deal, its implications for the region, the threat from Islamic State and Iran’s role in the Middle East. Excerpts from the interview:
Till a few years ago the US administration had been talking in terms of “all options, including a military strike, on the table” as far as Iran’s nuclear programme was concerned. But today, two old adversaries – Iran and the US – are on the verge making a deal on nuclear programme and sanctions. How did this change happen?
Of course we still do not have a deal and the US is still making threats against the Iranian people, but the main reason for the change we have seen so far in the Western approach towards Iran has been the steadfastness of the Iranians and their determination to keep their peaceful nuclear programme despite the enormous pressure from Western countries and the targeting of ordinary Iranians through punitive sanctions.
It’s not a done deal yet. There are two versions of the agreement reached in Lausanne. Washington has described it as a good deal as it ‘practically puts a lid on Iran’s nuclear programme’. The West seems to have got what they wanted. Did Iran get a fair deal?
I do not think the Western countries got what they sought. They were determined to take Iran’s sovereign right to have a peaceful nuclear programme and the ability to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and they failed to do that. They claim that they are trying to prevent Iran from producing a nuclear weapon but there has never been any evidence provided that Iran’s nuclear programme has ever been anything but peaceful. Iranians believe that the confrontational approach by the West has always been about containing Iran because of its independent foreign policy, and that the nuclear programme has been used as an excuse to put pressure on Iranians.
In his comments soon after the announcement of a deal in Lausanne, US President Barack Obama claimed that as per the agreement Iran would be subjected to more intrusive inspection by international inspectors than any other country. Why do you think he said so?
The Iranian foreign Minister [Dr Javad Zarif] has said specifically that the American interpretation of the agreement is not consistent with reality. I think the US President is trying to put a particular spin on the negotiations to sell the deal at home.
The possibility of lifting of western sanctions against Iran has created quite a positive mood in your country. There have been scenes of celebrations in Tehran. Are people really happy? What kinds of debates are happening around it?
I do not think there was euphoria in most of the country. I think it’s fair to say that it created significant optimism, yet ever since Obama has spoken and the US has given its own so-called “fact sheet”, which is inconsistent with the Iranian version of the results of the negotiations, there has been growing concern that the United States may again be insincere at the negotiating table. Iranians have had many bad experiences with the United States at the negotiating table. The Americans have quite often said one thing and done something different. There are a lot of debates taking place on television channels in Iran as well as other media outlets, but I think it’s fair to say that the political establishment and the population at large have confidence in the Iranian nuclear negotiators.
If and when the sanctions are lifted by the western governments, what would it mean for the Iranian economy, businesses and ordinary people?
I think it will definitely have an impact on the economy, and it will make it easier for Iran to import and export goods, but as long as Western countries continue to pursue hostile policies towards Iran, I think the Iranian government will continue to pursue a policy of focusing on trade and development with non-western countries. But despite the fact that it will have a positive impact on the economy, I think anyone who has visited Tehran recently would have noticed that the sanctions have not had nearly as much of a negative impact on the lifestyle of ordinary Iranians as western governments had hoped.
There are reports of some cooperation between the two sides against ISIS in Iraq. Have the US and its allies realised that they need to work with Tehran for peace in the region?
The reality is that the United States, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE bear great responsibility for the rise of extremism in the region. It is well documented how western countries and oil-rich Arab regimes used extremists to overthrow the Libyan government. It is well documented that former senior al-Qaeda members, such as Abdul Hakim Belhaj, were deeply involved in Libya, and from there, they were sent to Turkey, a NATO member, to help strengthen extremist organisations in Syria to help overthrow the government.
The US Vice-President [Joe Biden] recently admitted that US regional allies created and funded ISIL, and, of course, the Nusra Front, which is the al-Qaeda branch in Syria, is being supported as we speak by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the Israeli regime and Qatar through the Jordanian and Turkish borders. Just recently, we witnessed the Nusra Front cooperate with ISIL to take the Yarmouk refugee camp in the suburbs of Damascus. More recently, we see that the Saudis and al-Qaeda in Yemen are fighting together against the new Yemeni political order. I think the United States recognises that Wahhabism, the official Saudi ideology, is an ideology that is a threat to global stability and that it is getting out of control in places like Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, Pakistan, and more recently in Australia and France. Hence, there is a strong incentive among some in the US political establishment to begin shifting away from Saudi-funded extremism. But I still think we have to wait and see if there is the will to bring about real change in Washington.
Despite its rich history and culture – even popular culture like films – Iran is often depicted in the western media and Hollywood as a “dangerous and backward” country. Is this depiction out of ignorance or has it been a deliberate ploy to show Iran as the “bad guy” to make the West look like the “good guy”?
Yes, this is well documented, and Iran has been depicted as irrational, dangerous and a threat to human existence. The only thing left that Iran has not been blamed for, it seems, is global warming! However, the irony is that these characteristics that they attribute to Iran can really be attributed to American and Western regional allies, as well as the ethno-centric ideologies of Wahhabism and Zionism.
There is still around 90 days to go before the final deal is put on paper in black and white and signed by all sides. A lot can happen in this period. What do you think can endanger the final deal?
Many in Washington are working hard alongside the Israelis and the Saudis to prevent a deal from happening. They will do anything to prevent a resolution to this conflict from taking place.
Is the West and Iran now ready to work together?
I believe the Iranians have always been ready to work with the West. In three months we will see if the West will respect Iran’s sovereignty and to show the Iranian people the respect they deserve.
