Iran breaks Western diplomatic blockade on crest of NAM summit

It was an important accomplishment for Tehran to host this week's 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a gathering that convened leaders and delegates of over 100 countries. Washington's accusations that Iran, which has endured a U.S. boycott and diplomatic isolation for years, was undeserving of hosting the summit did not stop UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon from attending. Traditional American ally Australia also sent two high-ranking officials representing Prime Minister Julia Gillard to the Tehran gathering as observers. The Dow Jones Newswires said that almost all of the NAM members and observers had attended the meeting made Washington feel frustrated. The New York Times said Tehran's hosting of the summit indicates that Western influence in the Middle East is waning while regional powers' reintegration is taking place. The United States has long seen Iran as a thorn in its side, not just because of Tehran's hostile policies toward Israel but also because the Islamic Republic's hardline defiance has jeopardized American strategic interests in the Mideast. Iran and the United States used to be close allies before the 1979 Iranian Revolution overthrew Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's regime. The countries' bilateral ties worsened to diffidation since Washington imposed a trade embargo on Iran in 1995 and labeled the nation part of "an axis of evil" in 2002. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has since often slammed the United States for what he calls its incessant threats and obstruction of Iran's scientific advances. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a keynote speech at the NAM summit on Thursday that the world has entered a new stage. He said the NAM should play a bigger role in the "New World" and that countries should develop relations based on common interests instead of resorting to intimidation. A declaration that emerged from the weeklong summit that ended Friday put an emphasis on peace and justice in the world. Ahmadinejad said at the summit's closing ceremony that the participants want "fundamental changes" in global governance and collective management of the world as a precondition for establishing peace. All of the participants, Ahmadinejad said, expressed a desire to avoid conflict in the world. It is apparent that the NAM members were seeking non-violent approaches to the unrest in Syria, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Iran's controversial nuclear program. Since countries do not see eye to eye with each other, the American values are not getting their own way in many parts of the world. Wrestling and bickering are likely to linger between the feuding sides before common ground can be found.