- 26 May 2009
- 3 Comments
- Diplomacy
cross-posted from democracyarsenal.org
We had ping pong diplomacy with China, and now we may soon engage in soccer diplomacy with Iran.
Reports out of Tehran indicate that the US Soccer Federation has inquired about the possibility of holding a friendly with Iran sometime in October and November. The AP reported:
In 1971 – a year before Nixon went to China – US table tennis players visited China in what marked a thaw in tensions between U.S. and China. Soccer is the biggest sport in Iran and the public has tremendous pride in the Iranian national team. Having the U.S. team travel to Tehran would to send a signal that both sides are ready for a significant thaw in relations. Perhaps a high-level American dignitary would go as well.