It is important for Iran to fully become part of the international community. This is being said given its geographical location as well as the political role it plays on the regional and international scene. Yet in order for Iran to reach a status where it is accepted by the global community, it has to adopt measures that would prove that it is indeed a country that seeks cooperation and good relations with the rest of the world.
Over the years, Iran has played a game of hide-and-seek when it came to its nuclear programme, which it always claimed to be for peaceful purposes. Yet at the same time Tehran has also repeatedly failed to prove such a claim.
This has been the case even with the direct and long involvement of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as it tried to gain access to Iranian nuclear sites so as to assess its progress and purpose.
But even with such efforts from the IAEA, and even with pressure from international players, Iran still has not followed a transparent route when it comes to its sites.
As a matter of fact, it has used the issue, whenever suitable, for domestic purposes and more so during election campaigns.
This has also been seen during the recent campaign for parliament where the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad once again drummed up the nuclear issue in order to make gains on the local front.
Yet the elections have shown the conservatives and rivals of Ahmadinejad advancing, which may bring about a change to the local political scene.
This could prove to be an opportunity for Iran to adopt a positive approach towards the global community, which can surely begin with Tehran showing respect to and cooperating with its Gulf neighbours.
