"A return to normality . . . The first time in 20 years we have all something to celebrate . . . We now have a new image". These were just some of the comments from Iranians delighted with their soccer team's performance against the United States and Germany in the World Cup, and the symbolic role this football diplomacy has played in opening up their relations with the rest of the world. Fittingly, it has become the occasion to examine afresh the US policy of dual containment and the European Union's support of critical dialogue with Iran. When Iran was drawn against the US last December there was a spontaneous outburst of popular feeling in Tehran in support of a more normal relationship with the rest of the world. Women were prominent in the celebrations, rejecting instructions from conservative Islamist leaders not to attend. After the victory over the US last Sunday the feeling was even more intense. It confirmed that social changes associated with the victory of Hojatolislam Mohamed Khatami in presidential elections in May 1997 are still flowing strongly through Iran's political and cultural life, posing a real challenge to the dominance of dogmatic clerics under the influence of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenei and the conservative social forces who support him.
The extent of President Khatami's victory needs to be recalled if the significance of these events is to be properly appreciated. He won some 70 per cent of the vote on a turnout of 90 per cent and received overwhelming support from women and younger people. His popularity remains intact, as was shown in last month's enthusiastic anniversary rallies in Tehran. The soccer celebrations illustrate very well his call for the development of a civil society in Iran independent of religious leadership, while the trial of his close associate, Tehran's reformist mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi, on unconvincing charges of corruption demonstrate that the conflict is far from over. President Clinton and his Secretary of State, Mrs Albright, have opened up a discussion about whether it will be possible to restore normal relations with the US. Mr Clinton says he hopes a "genuine reconciliation" will be possible based on mutual recognition. Mrs Albright has ruled out apologising for US support of the Shah and appealed for understanding of US attitudes towards Iran, which have not been repaired since radical students held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days in 1979-80. She has also called for an end to Iranian support for paramilitary movements against Israel and the export of arms to them. Already Iran has developed much better relations with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Iraq. European Union ambassadors, Ireland's included, have returned to Tehran following their recall after Iran was found by a Berlin court to have been involved in the murder of five opposition politicians there in 1992. There is clearly room for more discussion between the US and the EU on improving relations with Iran following last month's agreement under which Mr Clinton waived sanctions which would have prevented French, Russian and Malaysian firms from completing a large gas deal there. In the perspective of these events the EU's policy of critical dialogue with Iran looks better than the increasingly obsolescent US policy of dual containment applied to that country and Iraq.