The Iran Situation Is Beginning To Get Out Of Bounds For Moderates To Control

Besides diplomacy, another possible hope to prevent a major crisis with Iran are moderate forces in Iran. This includes not only a huge population under 30, many of which support a drive towards a moderate democracy in Iran, but also moderate politicians such the former President of Iran, cleric Mohammad Khatami.

Khatami recently spoke at a conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and expressed a view that many in the Islamic world are both tired and disgusted with violence and extremism in the name of religion. And his views also seem to support a nuclear free region in th MidEast. He also supports improved relations with the U.S.

Khatami was President of Iran from 1997 until June of this year when radical hardline extremist Mahmoud Ahmandinejad replaced him the election upset. Khatami was always at odds with hardline clerics, yet he always presented a sensible and moderate path for Iran.

This is still one of the best hopes for Iranian crisis, that moderates who are very wary about a steady path to war can still rescue the situation. But each day as rhetotic grows worse with both the U.S. and the Iranian government exchanging more threatening insults or thinly disguised threats, the chances of moderates to bring this situation back from the brink dim considerably.