Yeah, I’ll bet they do. They need Khamenei’s permission, though, before they can go ahead with the formation of a “friendship committee.” If he grants it, it could be another sign that Ahmadinejad’s influence is waning and the powers that be are trending towards the pragmatists. Or it could be yet another chapter of that old Islamist favorite, good cop/bad cop.

I’m sure it’ll all work out for the best.

Proponents hope the effort, for which they were gathering petition signatures Tuesday, will be condoned by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say in national matters…

“If (Iranian) government officials can reconcile with Americans, why can’t the Iranian nation reconcile with the American people?” asked Jalal Hosseini, a pro-reform lawmaker who signed the petition.

So far, proponents have gathered 20 signatures and plan to seek more at the 290-seat parliament. Backers come from across Iran’s political spectrum…

“We also seek to moderate Iran-bashing laws at the U.S. Congress through direct contacts with them and invite U.S. congressmen to get firsthand, correct information about realities in Iran,” said reformist lawmaker Darioush Ghanbari.

The more nervous the west gets about its nuclear program, the more Iran will want to preposition itself as a solid, well-meaning global citizen in case its attacked. Expect Khamenei to approve the committee.