Iran Is Back in Business

THE NEW YORKER

BY ROBIN WRIGHT

Ostracized as a pariah for almost four decades, Iran is back in business in a mere ten days—and with both East and West. On Saturday, the Islamic Republic welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping—and a delegation of three deputy premiers, six cabinet ministers, and a planeload of business executives—with much pomp and publicity. The two countries announced plans to resurrect the ancient Silk Road that once defined trade across Asia, this time with high-speed trains. They also agreed to increase trade to six hundred billion dollars over the next decade. Xi, on his first trip to the Middle East, said the deals marked a “new chapter” in relations. “China and Iran are two important developing countries that must continue regional and international coöperation,” he said. The leader of the largest atheist nation was even afforded a rare audience with Iran’s top theocrat, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

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