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Those Little Devilish Details


On Friday, the first British Airways airplane landed in Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, following years of estrangement between Heathrow and Imam Khomeini. The move represents an act of goodwill and indication of the renewal of relations between the UK and Iran. The Airlines indicated that they will work on increasing the number of flights to six a week: doubting that Iran will serve as a mere alternative for English tourists to an upset Spain (following the divorce from the EU), the increase in flights is a reconfirmation that water is under the bridge...or clouds under the aircraft?
Press TV (Iranian official news portal) was quick to announce the news, citing that “the flagship British carrier has described the Iranian capital as “an important destination” for the airline”, and that “British Airways announced in June that it had postponed the long-awaited resumption of its flights to Iran due to “some technical issues.” The article concludes with “Air France also resumed Paris-Tehran flights in April after an eight-year break”.
Western cosying up to Iran after last summer’s nuclear deal does not come as news: talks, missions, correspondence, involvement in peace scenarios, and genuine engagement with the Persian state have multiplied. Indeed, at this very moment (afternoon of September 4th), the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Stephen O’Brien, is holding talks in Tehran with a senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution (Ali Akbar Velayati) who confirmed that “The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to help the United Nations alleviate the suffering of people in the crisis-hit countries through whatever means and approaches”. Iran has marked its place in the political map of diplomacy; it is now time for the real deal: the details of every day life.
The Guardian also reported on the flight resumption news in a shy two-paragraph article, explaining that “British Airways described the Iranian capital as an important destination for the airline”, and concluded in a similar manner to that of Press TV, reminding readers of France’s flights to Iran resumed in April.
Iran is right to celebrate the return of British airplanes to its lands. Planes carry entrepreneurs, artists, writers, tourists, scholars, scientists, activists, romantics, and explorers. Iran’s re-integration into the world cannot be limited to the political sphere and locked inside the walls of UN halls and diplomatic cocktails. For the Iranian regime to be accepted as it is, and welcomed to the international community, every aspect of the Persian way of life is to be explored, experienced, and perhaps accepted.

In its elegant parlance and loathe to verbosity, Iranian media reminded the world that it has indeed achieved an important objective: building real bridges with the world through virtual air lanes. Perhaps a picture of a British couple enjoying a Fesenjan (Pomegranate Walnut Stew) is all that will be needed to welcome Iran back with arms wide open.

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