Rouhani on Relations with Britain: Moving Towards Changing Historical Judgments of the People

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, emphasized the necessity of developing relations between Iran and Britain during a meeting with the British Foreign Secretary on Monday, September 2. He stated that "we must move in a way that, in addition to developing relations, the historical judgments of the people gradually change." According to the Iranian President's website, Rouhani mentioned that "the people of Iran have historical mindsets regarding foreign interventions," adding, "Although the historical judgments of a nation cannot be changed quickly in a short time, we believe that we should not remain stuck in historical pasts; we must adjust our movement with a view to the future." He further stated, "I believe that by moving forward on various political, economic, and regional issues, we can create a guarantee for long-term trust." Following the final agreement between Iran and world powers, Iran and Britain reopened their embassies in each other's capitals simultaneously on Sunday, September 1. Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, stated in a press conference with Philip Hammond, the British Foreign Secretary, that the differences between Tehran and London can be resolved through dialogue. Last week, a group of European Union representatives, of which Britain is a member, emphasized that human rights issues must be taken seriously in relations with Iran. Hammond: Lifting sanctions could begin in the spring of next year. Philip Hammond, who traveled to Tehran to reopen his country's embassy and meet with Iranian officials, stated on Monday that he expects the lifting of sanctions against Iran to begin in the spring of next year. According to Reuters, he also mentioned that the final confirmation of the nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States is expected to be completed by October. Hammond emphasized that necessary groundwork must be laid before the lifting of sanctions so that investment in Iran can flow when the sanctions are lifted. He also announced his country's readiness to upgrade relations with Iran from chargé d'affaires to ambassador. On Monday, the British Foreign Secretary also had an interview with the BBC; in this interview, he stated that "Iran's role and importance in this region is greater than to remain isolated." He mentioned that Tehran could be a "partner" for Britain in the fight against terrorism but emphasized that Britain must proceed with caution regarding its relations with Iran. Hammond continued by saying that despite the "deep legacy of mistrust" between Britain and Iran, the two countries also share common grounds. According to Hammond, Iran and Britain agreed on the necessity of defeating the "Islamic State" (formerly ISIS) and stopping the drug trafficking from Afghanistan to Europe. The British Foreign Secretary also stated on Sunday that British companies have a "great eagerness" to cooperate with Iran. In this context, reactions to the reopening of the British embassy include Zarif stating that it is still too early for the reopening of the American embassy and that differences with Britain can be resolved through dialogue. British companies have a "great eagerness" to cooperate with Iran.