The Virtual Iran Beat

By GOLNOUSH NIKNEJAD

[NIEMAN REPORTS] The Pakistani taxi driver I have directed to the Iranian Embassy pumps his brakes as we approach the U.S. Embassy, a seven-story building that resembles the hull of a battleship. Tall and arrogant, it looms large over the Abu Dhabi Desert. I had recently started a job in the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the diplomatic affairs correspondent for a new English-language newspaper. The American Embassy is down the road from the Iranian one--close enough that the Iranians refer to it when giving directions to their own.

"Here?" the driver asks, turning around for another quick look. I have olive skin and my dark hair is dutifully covered for the occasion. But the accent behind the hijab is unmistakably American. "No, the Iranian Embassy," I repeat, this time with more emphasis. continue reading

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