1. What nuclear deal did the Iranian government initially agree to, but then this week refuse to comply with?

2. What ultimatum did the U.S. and European officials give Iran regarding their nuclear weapons program?

3. a) Define "dissident" as used in this article.
b) What caused the opinion of Iran's dissidents on world sanctions against Iran to change recently?

4. How does Iranian dissident Mohsen Makhmalbaf think the Obama administration should deal with Iran? Be specific.

5. How does Mr. Makhmalbaf view this summer's public protests in Iran?

6. Read the "Background" below. The Bush administration refused to negotiate directly with Iran. The U.S. has had no official relationship with the Iranian government since the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979 (Iranian revolutionaries stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held the Americans captured there for over a year). President Obama has vowed to take a different approach and come to peaceful agreements through negotiations. Do you think this approach will ultimately be successful? Explain your answer. Ask a parent the same question.