海角大神

Iran nuclear talks in Geneva have been a聽roller-coaster ride of news and emotion.

That ride has been especially excruciating for Iranians at home glued to their television sets, hoping for a deal. For some, the wait has聽become a reason to give more support to the regime鈥檚 nuclear policies.聽Successive rounds of inconclusive talks have fueled the belief that聽Iran聽is being聽asked to make unreasonable compromises by the West.

Especially grating for Iranians is France's new hard-line positions, which echo those of Israel.聽They forced聽the P5+1 group (the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany) to toughen their offer two weeks ago,聽which ultimately prevented a deal from being signed then.聽

鈥淚 for one have gone on anti-nuclear marches all my life, and my position on the nuclear issue has been no nuclear power in Iran,鈥� says a Western educated artist in Tehran. 鈥淏ut right now, screw the West, the US, the French and Israel. I want full-on centrifuge activity, and if threatened consistently by the US and Israel as we are, I will have to support even the development of nuclear weapons.鈥�

One beneficiary of this stepped up national pride is Iran鈥檚 new negotiating team, which is gaining popular support聽for聽holding to Iranian red lines. Another is the ultimate decision maker on Iran鈥檚 nuclear program, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has vowed that Iran will not compromise on its "rights."

鈥淚 feel cornered by the power Israel and people like [Israeli premier Benjamin] Netanyahu yield in international relations,鈥� says the Tehran artist. 鈥淕eneva II was supremely frustrating, and now the wait is too聽much...it feels聽that they are being unfair.鈥�

鈥淭his is what the West鈥檚 attitude does to people like me, the 鈥榬easonable ones,鈥欌�� adds the artist. 鈥淥n this [nuclear issue] they are shoving me into Khamenei鈥檚 lap.鈥�

In Geneva today, hopes for a deal rose when Iranian media reported that the P5+1 had 鈥渇inally鈥� accepted one of Iran鈥檚 most significant demands: uranium enrichment on Iranian soil.

Yet late last night, one of Iran鈥檚 most senior negotiators said that 鈥渘o progress鈥� was made on key sticking points, causing hope to recede.

Likewise, the US delegation quietly extended their flight bookings to聽Sunday聽鈥撀爄n anticipation of continued talks, and perhaps even the arrival of Secretary of State John Kerry and other foreign ministers.

But this morning, Iranian journalists were told to check out their hotel rooms, in case talks ended abruptly today.

鈥淧eople follow the news as before, from taxi drivers to workers. For them, it is more than a nuclear deal. It is a sign of being respected and recognized by the West,鈥� says an analyst in Tehran who asked not to be named, because it's sensitive to talk to foreign media.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a kind of reaction to 30 years of humiliation and promoting a demonized picture of Iran as a country and a culture,鈥� says the analyst. 鈥淭he 鈥榬ight鈥� of Iran is a key word for people, and they strongly support the stand of the negotiating team."

鈥淔or many people, Iran has been under pressure not only for the kind of regime [it has] but for its demand to be an independent and also advanced country,鈥� adds the analyst. 鈥淚t is a common idea in Iran that whenever we try to progress, the West prevented it. So accepting the right of Iran in nuclear energy is a sign of changing this process.鈥澛�