Three great contributors go head-to-head with one another in Iran Scan this week. The first post is spurred by the arrival of actor-come-journalist Sean Penn in Tehran and ends in poignant analysis of America’s relationship to Iran. This is followed by a critique of the political romance between Iranians and neoconservatives, and finally a sharp interjection rejecting any preconceived notions about Iranians, the American Left, or the neocons.

* "Opinion: Sean Penn in Iran":http://iranscan.net/comments/Iran/Weblog/sean_penn_in_iran (Afshin Molavi) * "Opinon: Sean Penn and the Neocons":http://iranscan.net/comments/Iran/Weblog/opinon_sean_penn_and_the (Trita Parsi) * "Opinion: Anti-neocon rhetoric versus reality":http://iranscan.net/comments/Iran/Weblog/anti_neocon_rhetoric_versus_reality

(Eli Lake)