The morning after in Persepolis

Agreeing to "stay in touch" over Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke and Mohammad Mehdi Akhoondzadeh, Iran's deputy foreign minister, played diplomatic footsies at The Hague. The UN it seems so displeased over the current lack of progress of rebuilding Afghanistan that it called a one-day meeting to address the issue. Apparently without a hint of irony, Madam Clinton declared “I myself did not have any direct contact with the Iranian delegation.” She is hoping that Iran's leaders will make a humanitarian gesture over three cases that the U.S. has concerns. A "Bronx Gesture" is a more likely outcome given the tense and dysfunctional historical relationship. Afghanistan is seen as an opportunity to see if a decidedly mixed marriage can be brokered. In the end, it may all be just sour nothings.