Neighbor=?UTF-8?B?4oCZ?=s elections: Local expert says outcome of Iranian parliamentary vote unlikely to affect Armenia

An Armenian specialist on Iran says the outcome of the latest parliamentary election in the Islamic Republic cannot in any way affect its relations with neighboring Armenia or its general foreign policy.

The results emerging from last Friday's vote show President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suffering a political setback, while the hard-line supporters of Supreme Leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei gaining a solid victory.

But Gohar Iskandaryan, a Yerevan-based expert in Iranian studies, says Iran is not a state where such events can lead to major foreign policy shifts.

"Tehran develops long-term policies, such as in the form of a program, that it follows for 20 years. There may be some alterations, but those cannot be big changes," Iskandaryan told ArmeniaNow.  Read more... (455 words)

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