The rationale for opening both Iran's and America's embassies is compelling and goes back to the reasons for The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 of which 190 countries are signatories. Embassies contribute to the achievement of international peace and security and facilitate the work, cultural exchanges, business, travel, and development of both countries.

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It's time to re-open the American and Iranian embassies and promote reconciliation

Franklin Lamb

At the American Embassy, Tehran

Last month's historic nuclear agreement breakthrough, following nearly two years of grueling, frequently contentious negotiations, manifests the efficacy of diplomacy conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect to solve shared challenges among states that were formerly enemies.

This achievement, according to Iranian college students from whom this observer has been learning a lot recently while engaging in far reaching discussions in Iran, and the nuclear pacts momentum, leads logically to the next step, which should include opening the Iranian and American embassies. This so our two countries can talk freely and facilitate the work of the queuing trade delegations from both countries eager to discuss business opportunities and countless other benefits, including but not limited to the fact that opening our embassies will facilitate the quick restoration of banks financing of trade deals, restoration of consular passport and other services to the more than one million Iranians living in the US and travel of American to the Islamic republic. This and much more can be repaired that has been severely damaged by US-led sanctions that targeted Iran's civilian population for political purposes including regime change. By opening our embassies, economic benefits will quickly flow to both peoples according to the UN World Trade Association and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD.

Despite obvious benefits to US citizens, according to recent polls, Democrats and Republicans appear to be polar opposites in their view of the agreement and opening our embassies. Nearly 7 in 10 Democrats favor it while an identical share of Republicans rejects it. Among independents, 6 in 10 favor it.

In contrast, accordingly to the results of an admittedly unscientific poll of students at Tehran University and random shoppers and shopkeepers in an ancient Tehran bazaar, as well as outside the former US Embassy, approximately 90 % of Iranians support the agreement and opening of our embassies. And seem to be quite enthusiastic and optimistic about future US-Iran bi-lateral relations. No doubt one reason is the harsh US-led economic sanctions that have targeted the civilian population for political purposes, i.e. regime change. During the same period that the public opinion survey was being conducted, the 2^nd International Congress on Terrorism was being held in Tehran and international delegates overwhelmingly agreed that economic sanctions targeting innocent civilians for political purposes is Terrorism.

Approximately 63 percent of Iran's population is under 30 years of age, and a vast majority wants to re-connect with the world. Many are reformists but they want change to come peacefully and from the Iranian people not from outside. They want to reform their government over time and believe they have the political power to do so and to safeguard the nuclear deal in the process. Students interviewed last week in Tehran were nearly unanimous in their insistence that funds coming to their government from the scrapping of sanctions must be spent on domestic needs that directly serve the Iranian people and not scattered around the region.

Iran's conservative-dominated parliament and many hardliners are deeply suspicious of the USA and Britain and have not hidden their disdain towards the reopening of both embassies However the decision to restore relations fully, according to a Iranian official would not be blocked by Iran's parliament when the issue comes up for a vote.

Expressions like "Death to America" are less common today here in Tehran and these insults are being increasingly replaced among youth with "Hello World!" slogans on T-shirts. This observer believes that the "Death to America" slogan has been misunderstood somewhat in the west. This is because many times when the slogan was chanted in Iran it was not intended to be taken literally but because the slogan's author was the still much loved Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini who reputedly coined the slogan during the tumultuous Iranian revolution. People often use it to identify with and express veneration for the founder of the Islamic Republic.

Equally misunderstood was former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's alleged threats to "wipe Israel off the face of the map." But as Iranians explain to foreign visitors-and as Ahmadinejad becomes more politically active and still maintains a popular political base, the reality is that as Middle Eastern commentator Juan Cole has clarified, such a threat was never made. Wrote Mr. Cole, "The actual quote does not imply military action, or killing anyone at all " [Ahmadinejad] quoted Khomeini that 'the occupation regime over Jerusalem should vanish from the page of time.' It is in fact probably a reference to some phrase in a medieval Persian poem. It is not about tanks."

Some attitudes expressed in Tehran these days remind one of recent surveys by the Pew Research Centre suggesting that younger American Jews are these days much less likely to regard caring about Israel as essential to their Jewish identity and are more inclined to regard America's support for Israel as excessive, including that Israel is not an embattled underdog but rather a threat to peace. Similarly, Iranian youth are becoming more politically active. This, as they seek a future that grants them more control over their personal choices, careers and lives along with the implied criticism of some of their country's leadership.

The American Embassy is located on the corner of Taleqani Ave and S. Mofateh St. in Tehran, and the 65 year old structure has been emptied of US diplomats for the past 36 years. Physically it is in pretty good shape all considered. The chancery building is a long, low two-story brick building, and looks strikingly similar to the Milwaukie Union High School in Clackamas county Oregon, this observer's alma mater. Both were built in the 1940's.

While not generally open to the public except by special permission, the US Embassy has been put to use over the years as a Middle School and for housing student organizations offices as well as for Basij units of the Revolutionary Guards. It also houses a museum of sorts exhibiting tools and equipment from the "Den of Spies," "Den of Espionage," and "Nest of Spies as the diplomatic compound has sometimes been labeled but less frequently these days. Also a large mural with anti-American graffiti surrounds the lobby staircase but as an acquaintance noted, can quickly be painted over.

Clean up work is being done of the exterior walls and the painted "Death to America", "Great Satan," "criminals," "corrupt," "arrogant," and "anti-Koran," signs have virtually disappeared.

The rationale for opening both Iran's and America's embassies is compelling and goes back to the reasons for The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 of which 190 countries are signatories. Embassies contribute to the achievement of international peace and security and facilitate the work, cultural exchanges, business, travel, and development of both countries.

To paraphrase Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond at a ceremony the other day here in Tehran to mark the reopening of the British embassy, while Iran reopened its embassy in London, removing the barriers from the Iranian and American embassy is the logical next step for our countries. And it will build confidence and trust between two great nations. This observer submits that both Iranian and American people are ready and should direct our leaders accordingly.

Authors Website: http://mealsforsyrianrefugeechildrenlebanon.com/

Authors Bio:

Since 2013, Professor Franklin P. Lamb has traveled extensively throughout Syria. His primary focus has been to document, photograph, research and hopefully help preserve the vast and irreplaceable archaeological sites and artifacts in Syria.

Like Iraq, Syria is the cradle of civilization, and as such it has been a rich source of our shared global culture and historic heritage. Already endangered from illegal excavation, looting, international trafficking and iconoclasm; the theft and destruction of these sites has greatly increased as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.

Many of the endangered archeological sites and artifacts are over 7,000 years old. The oldest remains found in Syria are from the Paleolithic era (c. 800,000 BCE). The most endangered artifacts and archaeological sites currently are in Tell Halaf, the north of Syria near the Turkish border with Syria. These archaeological sites date as far back as 5,500 BCE. They include archeological sites and artifacts of the Babylonian, Sumerian, Egyptian, Assyrian, Phoenician, Aramaic, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad, Ayyubid and Ottoman civilizations and empires.

Professor Franklin Lamb has also been working, sometimes under dangerous circumstances, to record and photograph the war damage done to religious icons, images, monuments, and ancient structures that span pre-Roman civilizations, and structures such as Islamic mosques, Christian churches and Jewish synagogues.

Professor Lamb is working tirelessly to record and photograph these sites and artifacts because they are in danger of complete destruction for religious, political and illegal trafficking reasons, especially due to the ongoing wars in the Middle East.

Professor Franklin Lamb's website and his latest book, "Syria's Endangered Heritage, an International Responsibility to Preserve and Protect" presents exclusive and never published before photographs, records, data, articles, and interviews from across the whole of Syria. His book can be purchased at his website http://www.syrian-heritage.com/.

In addition to Dr. Lamb's urgent archaeological work he is also deeply committed to rescuing and aiding refugee children in Syria. He is a volunteer with the Lebanon, France, and USA based "Meals for Syrian Refugee Children, Lebanon (MSRCL)", which seeks to provide hot nutritional meals to Syrian and other refugee children.

Lamb says that the goal of MSRCL is to be able to provide one meal a day to 500 children. More donors are needed in order for him to reach that goal. At $2.25 per meal x 500 children per day ($1,225), the budget for a month (30 days) requires approximately $36,000. Over 95% of each donation goes directly towards the cost of each meal. The MSCRL volunteer teams give their time, energy and even their own money to help the refugee children so that they will not become part of the "lost generation" of Syria.

Lamb's books and publications include "Pollution as a Problem of International Law"; "International Legal Responsibility for the Sabra Shatila Massacre"; "Israel's 1982 War in Lebanon: Eyewitness Chronicles of the Invasion and Occupation", "The Price We Pay: A Quarter Century of Israel's Use of American Weapons against Civilians in Lebanon in addition to the three volume set, "Palestine, Lebanon & Syria Palestine, Lebanon & Syria (Commentary and Analysis 2006-2016)." Due out during Fall 2016, in English and Arabic, is "The Case for Palestinian Civil Rights in Lebanon: Why the Resistance Sleeps."

Dr. Lamb's most recent book is "Syria's Endangered Heritage: An International Responsibility to Preserve and Protect". www.Syrian-heritage.com

Lamb's Academic Credentials include: BA, and Law Degrees from Boston University, Master of Law (LLM) Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy from the London School of Economics (LSE); Diploma in International Air & Space Law from the University College of London; Post-Doctoral Studies at Harvard University Law School of East Asian Legal Studies Center, specializing in Chinese Law; International Legal Studies at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom; Studied Public International Law at The Hague Academy of international Law, at the International Court of Justice, in The Hague, Netherlands.

Lamb's Professional and Political Activities include Assistant Professor of International Law, Northwestern College of Law, Portland, Oregon and Assistant Counsel to the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, During the Administration of President Jimmy Carter, Lamb was elected for a four year term to the Democratic National Committee, representing the state of Oregon. Lamb served on the Democratic National Committee Judicial Council with California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi as well as the Platform Committee on East-West Relations. Professor Lamb served on the presidential campaign staff for Presidential Candidate Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts.