current event #6

article source:
http://www.economist.com/node/21549992

"Wink or blink: Iran may be declaring victory while seeking a way out"

This article makes it clear that in any government policies of economics and politics are highly connected. In Iran's case, it is far from coincidental that the majlis elections at the beginning of this month were highly boycotted and predetermined just as the impacts of international sanctions on Iranian oil become more obvious. The idea that "a text-message joke in Tehran quipped that 80% of Iranians had sat on their couches, amazed to see 70% of Iranians voting" is a serious sign of a decrease in legitimacy for Ahmedinejad's regime, especially for the supposedly "democratic" institution of the majlis. Economic strains such as the increase in imports of grain (to prevent future shortages), inflation, and further restrictions on Iran's trading capabilities mean that resentment towards the government (and Ahmedinejad's position in particular) will only increase.
This strain is then a probable cause of Iran's recent increase in cooperation over it's nuclear weapons capabilities. Though there has been severely heated rhetoric from the regime on this topic, Iran's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, answered a letter sent to him by the EU’s foreign-policy chief requesting renewed talks with the six-nation contact group, and Ayatollah Khamenei continued to deny the pursuit of nuclear weapons. That is not to say that there has been a complete turnaround by any means, but the evidence of economic strain will continued to have a significant impact on Iran's foreign policy issues, especially considering the dependence on oil as an export.