THOSE were wonderful 15 minutes for peace in the Middle East region when an American president and his Iranian counterpart talked to each other for the first time in more than three decades. President Barack Obama placed the call and reached President Hassan Rouhani who was en route to the airport. The US president congratulated Mr Rouhani on his election victory, apologised in a lighter vein for the New York traffic and gave him a Farsi farewell — Khoda Hafiz. Mr Rouhani ended it with “have a nice day”. The conversation, sources said, focused on the nuclear question, even though Mr Obama also talked about the American prisoners in Iran. Mr Obama later showed realism when he said that there were bound to be “obstacles” and success was by “no means guaranteed”. But he voiced the hopes of all peace-loving people when he said he believed “we can reach a comprehensive solution”. At one stage, even telephonic contact appeared doubtful when President Rouhani skipped a lunch where he was expected to shake hands with President Obama, saying it was premature for the two to meet. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif then got together to pave the way for their conversation. President Obama conceded Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and the two agreed to expedite the process to seek a solution to the nuclear question.

A lot depends upon how hardliners in Iran react to this breakthrough telephone talk — their initial reaction has been negative — though spiritual leader Ali Khamenei’s support for President Rouhani’s moderate policies could help him pursue the process. Pakistan should hope for a US-Iran rapprochement, for this will help lift sanctions and remove whatever obstacles there are to the import of Iranian gas.