In this case, the reply is from
The Iranians aren't some camel-driving caricature -- they're real people living in a country that can be more like us than not, and surprisingly modern and progressive at times. I am not denying that Iran's government turns a blind eye towards terrorism, but we would all stand to gain considerably if we developed closer cultural ties to Iran, in the same way that we benefited through developing cultural ties with the Soviet Union.
Know thine enemy, and all that.