iran unfiltered

The NY Times discusses in an editorial today a few of the Iranian regime's recent transgressions, including its sentencing of Iranian-American scholar Kian Tajbakhsh to 15 years in prison (apparently for working with George Soros's pro-democracy Open Society Institute; according to Iran scholar and Tajbakhsh's one-time fellow detainee Haleh Esfandiari, the regime is particularly obsessed with Soros, who it blames for the velvet revolutions in former Soviet republics such as Ukraine and Georgia).  It's always great when the Times devotes an editorial to bringing attention to Iran's domestic situation, but it misreads the Iranian regime's mindset when it states:

Iran may sit at the negotiating table with the United States and other world powers, but it will never earn the respect it craves if it continues these kinds of human rights abuses.

The Islamic Republic certainly craves respect - but primarily as a political and economic power, not as a staunch upholder of human rights.  It can say all it wants about justice and rights, but in terms of actions the regime makes very clear where gaining international respect for its support of human rights stand on the list of its motivations.  The more relevant argument is to warn that human rights violations will lead to increased domestic opposition and consequently a greater threat to internal stability - that is much more likely to get the regime's attention.   

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal's editorial on the nuclear issue expresses (fairly convincing) skepticism that the proposed plan for shipping most of Iran's current fuel abroad for further enrichment would significantly delay Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons.