Iran's image matters to me - and will to everyone else too

Iran and the West are keen to sign a fresh nuclear deal (Image: CNBC)

Being a PR man who has both Welsh and Iranian blood, I tend to follow the news and take what's happening in, or concerning, Wales and Iran personally. Even when it comes to events in the UK, as a Brit, I often wonder how the impact of, say the economy, is having on the country's wider reputation. When the Welsh national football side qualified for the FIFA World Cup, I spent ages looking at how media networks abroad reported on the story. Equally when it comes to contentious issues like when Wales became the first UK nation to introduce a blanket 20mph driving speed limit on residential roads, I felt compelled to see what outlets beyond the Welsh border are thinking about the move. It doesn't matter if I support what's going on or now, but I want the country to be seen as a global force for good. I even get insecure when Wales isn't chosen by big cheeses as the best country for anything. It's a small country with big ambitions, I can't help but want to see this highlighted everywhere I go.

When it comes to following news related to Iran or Iranians, things get complicated. On the one hand, I felt arguably more devastated than most after hearing that Iranian-Scottish popstar Darius Campbell Danesh had passed away. But more widely, Iran's government's actions have the potential to change the course of global history, so much more is at stake. The closest Wales will get to this level is if the country has a vote for independence from the UK, but I anticipate we're decades away from this being a genuine reality. 

I'll get to Iran's nuclear deal later but first, I want to analyse what happened with internationally acclaimed author, Salman Rushdie. He has bestsellers and awards coming left, right and centre. Nobody can deny his popularity. But his works have also attracted controversy, namely with The Satanic Verses. It sold millions of copies but was slammed by many Muslims - India, the country where he was born, became the first country to ban the title while in 1989, Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa on the author; effectively ordering Muslims to kill him.

The fatwa rightly rattled Rushdie, to the point that he went into hiding for years. Yet for decades after returning to the public limelight, he's lived a relatively normal life. He may have had to look over his shoulders on occasion, but actually, nobody had reportedly acted to assassinate him since the 1990s. That was until a short number of weeks ago when he was attacked in New York state. As I write this, we hear he's badly injured but okay, 'heading in the right direction', which is a relief to hear, and I hope this continues. Yet, the first thing I had in my mind when I heard the news broke is "Please God, not an Iranian". I couldn't help but think that.

The attacker isn't Iranian, yet had openly expressed his support towards the current regime, as well as to Middle East-based terrorist groups. The Iranian government was silent at the beginning (later, an official said Rushdie only had himself to blame) and left a lot of its backed press to do the talking, relishing in his pain. Even when I know that these titles could be easily dismissed as tosh, my heart couldn't help but sink. It wasn't necessarily because of what they'd written, or because their words matter and have the potential to influence the public enough for them to share their sentiment of Rushdie's misfortune. But ultimately, I was more concerned that the consequences of the content would have wider implications for both how Iran was seen by the world, and how Iran could therefore interact with major economies. A small positive light in this is that Iranians in Iran have spoken to British newspapers, talking of their 'horror and shame' of the situation.

The relationship between Iran and the West in recent years has somewhat softened, perhaps largely thanks to the fact that US President Joe Biden has offered a pragmatic approach compared to his predecessor, and along with Europe, has shown genuine determination to re-secure a nuclear deal. Right now, it's progressing, yet we've little indication whether it's any closer to being finalised. There's a similar fine line to cross as in 2015 when the deal was first secured with Barack Obama at the White House. And the prospective deal is met with hostility from the new Israeli government (a key US ally), which isn't a surprise. With tensions between Israel and Palestine continuing to persist, having both direct and indirect consequences on this nuclear deal, a lot is at stake. 

The nuclear deal aims to help ease global fears that Iran won't develop nuclear weapons, but it certainly isn't used to help ease relations between Iran and the West. For example, in regards to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the West has piled its support to the latter nation while Iran has been entertaining Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran. It's up to diplomats from both Iran and Western economies to treat each controversy in isolation. I have a sense that Iran is willing to do this, even it is to mean having some of the 'crippling' sanctions against them lifted. And of course, there's a small matter that the deal completion possibly lowering the price of oil, which has skyrocketed in recent months due to what's happening in Ukraine.

Separately, Iran is going through some change which very few can predict what this really looks like and what it could mean. It's a divided nation and talks of a more secular revolution are escalating, with protests taking place in parts of Europe. Pockets of marches are what started the fall of the Shah, and then as millions lined the streets, change became sudden. There is a stronger sense that the Iranian public - both in Iran and abroad - are keen for greater integration with the West and for Islamist views to be secondary. Of course, you won't see them shout these words from the rooftops. Yet to achieve this will take years, particularly if Ayatollah Khamenei continues to influence and call for the 'death of America'. As he's in his 80s, people are waiting to see what life will be like after he goes. Regardless of what happens, I'll be keen to see Iran's future seen in a positive light.