How do the Americans mark the 36th memory of the Iran hostage crisis this year? It could be a major question from the observers and analysts interested in the developments of the American-Iranian relations since 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the U.S major ally Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. The crisis memory coincides this year with notable improvement in the relations between the two countries for the first time since 1979 due to the nuclear agreement between the Persian state and the international major powers. Such agreement could pave the way for turning a new page in the relations between the two countries in such critical moment on the regional and international side. However, there are fears that the Iranian regime could resume its obstinacy in the light of the big influence of the Shiite clerics insisting on describing the U.S as "the great devil". They expressed their refusal to any kind of normalization between their country and America despite the American aspiration to depend on Iran as qualified partner in a number of regional issues. Yes, Iran is a major player in the current fight against ISIS. It also performs a major role in Syria. The Iranians cooperated for the first time with the U.S to put aside former Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki, who was one of Iran's major allies, and to support Haider al-Abadi to replace him in August 2015 against the backdrop of the consecutive defeats of the Iraqi military and security forces before ISIS militias. Iran's role in Iraq revived the hopes of the U.S administration and even many observers that the Persian state could adopt the same position towards the Syrian regime, headed by President Bashar al-Assad. The U.S and Russia accepted the Iranian representation in Geneva talks over Syria recently in a clear recognition of its importance as an influential player on the regional arena. Iranian authorities, on their side, were keen not to provoke the U.S and its major allies in Syria during the recent months. This Iranian position potentially was one of the main reasons that prompted the Russian government to interfere militarily in Syria to support Assad's regime against the armed militias there. The major dilemma is how to interpret a number of Iranian actions against the U.S. The Iranian authorities refuse to release a number of American detainees bringing to the mind the American hostages crisis. A number of Iranians rallied before the old building of the U.S Embassy in Tehran on Wednesday to mark the memory of the crisis, chanting "death to America" and called on their government not to trust the U.S. The Iranians refuse any kind of normalization to the extent that they shut down a restaurant just for carrying the name "KFC", the abbreviation of Kentucky Fried Chicken. The action comes amid increasing concern over the growing of the western influence in the Persian state. On the other hand, the U.S Administration turned not to express its support for the Iranian role explicitly to satisfy its Gulf allies. U.S President Barack Obama pledged to increase his cooperation with the Gulf States to confront the Iranian influence that poses serious threat against their security. He also faces strong opposition inside the U.S, especially from the Republicans, since the conclusion of the nuclear agreement Both the Iranian and American authorities have the same feelings. They look forward to cooperating, while they face challenges leading them to the conflict. These challenges could prompt the two governments not to take serious, or at least explicit, actions to overcome their differences. The matter could need more time, while the time would not be enough if it did not coincide with efforts to contain the challenges.
