What Do People On The Streets Of Iran Think Of The U.S.?

Men read newspapers and magazines in Tehran, Iran October 14, 2017. Nazanin Tabatabaee Yazdi/TIMA via REUTERS

Peter Van Buren, Reuters: I just visited Iran. Here’s what I heard about the U.S.

Iran is a dangerous place these days, at least in a car. Traffic in the cities here moves like Tetris, with drivers pushing their cars into any open space that will fit. Trips begin in chaos and play out in confusion. How it ends is always up to God’s will, everyone says.

I went to Iran this month to attend a conference on the Palestinians, Jerusalem, and the greater Middle East sponsored by an Iran-based nongovernment organization. On the sidelines of the meeting, I met with students at Mashhad University, Ferdowsi University, and at a woman’s educational institute, as well as with visiting scholars from Tehran.

Just before my trip the United States withdrew from the nuclear accord, and while I was in the northeastern city of Mashhad, officially moved the embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. These events were tracked in Iran as closely as World Cup scores, though absent celebration.

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WNU Editor: So a Reuter's correspondent goes to Iran to find out what are the people's opinions on the street when it comes to the U.S.. And the response on the street is no surprise .... universal criticisms of the U.S. and its policies. I have lost count over the years on how many times I have seen and heard this "dog and pony show" from correspondents all over the world and in multiple places. Is this an accurate assessment on what people on the street actually think? I doubt it. But what I do know .... and I have traveled and seen enough of the world to know that it is true .... is that if given a chance to immigrate and start a new life in America .... almost everyone of these "critics on he street" will grab that opportunity without a moments hesitation.