Remember how the US women's badminton team was headed to Iran for an international tournament? A goofy contrast to the high-stakes diplomacy soon to be underway, it seemed.
But wait! Iran has denied the team visas, and now we've got an international incident on our hands. It even merited a long discussion at today's State Department briefing:
MR. WOOD: Well, I mean, it’s not a good sign. You know, as the Secretary and others have said, when the Iranians unclench that fist, there will be a hand waiting to greet them, and so it’s unfortunate. The Iranians are the only ones who can give you the explanation. As I said, all the paperwork – all the required paperwork was submitted in time.
Time for some shuttlecock diplomacy, I'd say.
--Michael Crowley