VOL. XL

No. 50

15 December 1997

The Political Scene

At the Islamic summit in Tehran Iran displayed an uncharacteristic willingness tocompromise, although whether this was only for the occasion or symptomatic of a deeperchange remains to be seen. It also aired in the full glare of international publicity thedifferences between President Mohammad Khatami and the country's hard-line clericalestablishment, represented by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The US, watching from the sidelines,had conciliatory...