On Saturday, an Iranian court announced that it had convicted Roxana Saberi of spying for the United States; she was sentenced to 8 years in prison. It all started with a bottle of wine… at least that’s what she told her father. There’s no reason to doubt the veracity of such a claim, but the story is much deeper than that.

An Iranian-American journalist, Saberi was arrested in January and charged with espionage months later. Most Western media outlets are reporting that her conviction is “likely to put a chill on the Obama administration’s efforts to improve relations with Tehran.” It matters not that Iran’s president has called on the judiciary to handle Saberi’s case fairly (as well as that of an Iranian-Canadian blogger also in custody). That was obviously not enough for president Obama who expressed deep disappointment over Saberi’s conviction; he asked that she be freed and reiterated his “confidence” that she was not involved in any form of espionage. (Of course, Bill Clinton’s wife also had to throw in her two cents.) The whole incident has provided unneeded fodder to those who are unwilling or unable to see any improvement in US-Iran relations.

Let’s take a breath and try to look at this objectively. Saberi had her press credentials revoked in 2006; after that, she was working illegally as a journalist in a country where press freedoms are virtually non-existent. In other words, she was asking for trouble. Whatever her motivation, she knowingly flouted the law and was punished accordingly. In relative terms, her prison sentence was a slap on the wrist (she could have been sentenced to death). People should be careful not to dismiss the accusations of espionage out of hand, but even if the charges are bogus, precedent and historical context must be taken into account.

Iran has every reason to be suspicious. In 1953, the US covertly instigated a coup in which the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people were crushed. It was a pivotal moment in modern history, whose repercussions are still felt today. The result of the coup was a brutal 25-year dictatorship that ultimately led to the Iranian Revolution. During the ensuing hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran, most of the world had no idea that there was a very good reason for what was happening.

Thanks to the US, Iran eventually became an “Islamic Republic” where ultimate authority lies in the hand of a theocratic ruling class that holds sway over the judicial system, among other things.

Over the years, as relations between the two countries continued to deteriorate, the US continued to make matters worse. For example, Washington has been supporting a number of Iranian opposition groups, including at least one designated by the State Department as a terrorist organization. Clearly, the US government and its intelligence community are unwilling to learn from their past mistakes.

President Obama’s ‘diplomatic overtures’ towards Iran have been blown completely out of proportion by the Western media – he has not actually done anything significant. Words without works are not enough, and the onus is largely on US officials to make fundamental changes in their Iran policy if there is to be any hope of reconciliation between the two countries. At the risk of sounding childish – they started this mess and it is their responsibility to fix it. The coup against Mossadegh was over half a century ago, but Washington has continued to engage in subversive and confrontational tactics ever since, repeatedly undermining the Iranian people and their government.

That is not to say that Iran’s ruling class is without blame, but the fact remains that the backwards theocracy pulling the strings is in power mostly because of Western arrogance and stubbornness. Unfortunately, when Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei responded to Obama on Nowruz, his message was interpreted dismissively by most US media outlets. Instead of falling prostrate, he made some very good points that were largely ignored- there is an urgent need for change… but that change needs to come from Washington. For now, underneath the fancy words, the smoke and mirrors, everything remains the same.

Saberi’s case could prove crucial in determining the future of US-Iran relations. She has 20 days to appeal, and there is a good chance that she will be shown further leniency. When it’s all said an done, Washington needs to respect the courts’ rulings if there is to be any hope of better ties with Tehran.

Related posts:

1. Iran’s New President’s Troubled Past
2. Inside Iran’s Jewish community
3. Why Ahmedinejad Thinks There are No Gays in Iran
4. Seymour Hersh: America Provoking Iran
5. Today In History