Consider this: Hassan Rouhani's Twitter account today re-Tweeted an offering from the State Department that quoted John Kerry lauding the historic, diplomatic progress being made by both sides.



Good first steps w/ #Iran this wk. Positive meeting w/ @JZarif last night. Historic POTUS and @HassanRouhani call today. #Progress -JK — Department of State (@StateDept) September 27, 2013

Indeed, Rouhani's Twitter account today has been a stunning display of social media diplomacy, which – while symbolic – has broadcast an abundance of good will toward the United States and the Obama administration.

Even before today's flurry, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo was blown away by the shift in tone from Iran being witnessed via social media.



I feel like i'm witnessing a tectonic shift in the geo-political landscape reading @HassanRouhani tweets. Fascinating. — dick costolo (@dickc) September 27, 2013

While it's too early to predict whether this tectonic shift in the geo-political landscape will have staying power, that shift was on full display today. Below is just a glimpse at Rouhani's Twitter feed:While a healthy dose of skepticism is in order regarding the sincerity of those views being broadcast over social media – for all parties involved, the U.S. included – the diplomacy we are seeing from Rouhani, being broadcast for public consumption by the English-speaking world, is historic.

While actions will speak louder than Tweets on issues such as nuclear regulation and the treatment of Iran's political opposition, this change in Iran's tone should not be undervalued.

After all, remember the name Ahmadinejad?

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David Harris-Gershon is author of the memoir What Do You Buy the Children of the Terrorist Who Tried to Kill Your Wife?, now out from Oneworld Publications.

Follow @David_EHG



