海角大神

By now, the US and Iran should know which words calm and which words incite.

And yet, even when diplomacy is in overdrive, as it is now with Iran and six world powers striving for a comprehensive nuclear deal by July, words can do as much harm as good.聽

President Barack Obama hit many of the right notes yesterday in his annual message to mark 鈥淣owruz,鈥� the Persian new year. He spoke of the 鈥淚slamic Republic of Iran鈥� 鈥撀爄mplicitly recognizing the revolutionary state estranged from the US since 1979 鈥撀燼nd offered the prospect of a new US-Iran relationship 鈥渞ooted in mutual interest and mutual respect.鈥� He enthused about the 鈥渢alents and genius of the Iranian people鈥� throughout history.

Likewise, Secretary of State John Kerry said 鈥渕y own family is stronger鈥� with the 鈥減resence and love鈥� of Iranian-Americans. He used the term 鈥淧ersian Gulf鈥� 鈥撀爄nstead of 鈥淎rabian Gulf,鈥� which is favored by US allies in the region 鈥� and expressed hope that the 鈥渉arsh winters in our past鈥� can end. The US Treasury 鈥� which oversees US sanctions on Iran 鈥� issued a new license to enhance student and educational exchanges.

But聽the message of goodwill was undermined by a few words from President Obama that were聽certainly聽taken as a poke in Tehran. He blamed the 鈥渆conomic hardship鈥� suffered by Iranians not on the sanctions imposed by the US and Europe, but on the 鈥渃hoices of Iranian leaders.鈥�

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has accused Obama of 鈥渋nsulting鈥� Iran from his first day in office, had strong words of complaint in his own Nowruz address this morning.聽Although he did not comment on Obama's words against Iranian leadership, Mr. Khamenei also聽ignored Washington's positive Nowruz tone.

Referring to top US officials鈥櫬爑sual聽talking points聽that 鈥渁ll options,鈥� including military ones, can be used against Iran鈥檚 nuclear program if diplomacy fails, and talk from US politicians that Iran had caved in on its principles, Mr. Khamenei said people 鈥渞ealized the Americans are being impolite.鈥�

Calling the US the "enemy" and a "dictatorial and arrogant" power, Khamenei said today the聽Americans 鈥渦sed rhetoric and language that was less courteous and more aggressive鈥� and insulting to the people鈥澛燼s the large crowd in the shrine city of Mashhad chanted 鈥淒eath to America!鈥澛�

If Obama's comments cause a lasting problem, it will not be the first time that one side's mollifying balm is taken as a barb by the other.聽

In 2000, then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright acknowledged Iran鈥檚 grievances against the US, including the CIA-orchestrated coup in 1953 and support for Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s.

It was not an official apology, but Ms. Albright addressed many points that聽festered in聽Iran. Yet she also referred to Iran鈥檚 鈥渦nelected leaders鈥� 鈥� and those two words helped ensure聽that US overture聽went nowhere,聽despite the apologetic words around it.聽