By the time Iranian authorities drew the curtain this week, it was too late. Attempts to choke off coverage of massive protests and postelection street battles between dissidents and government forces came well after the American public had reset a nascent and evolving impression of Iran, experts say. With the cooperation of the government, the global media buzzed in the days before the June 12 election with images of a youthful and exuberant Iran engaged in political debate. Even "The Daily Show" was allowed to profile a lovable, not-unlike-us Iranian family. It was a far cry from footage from decades ago of fanatics raging against America, more recent focus on Iran's nuclear program, or reports of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's frequent America-bashing as he traveled the world. That won't be true again, predicts James Rubin, a former U.S. assistant secretary of State for public affairs. "Whether it's in the Arab world or developing world, or even in Los Angeles, the perception of Iran is forever changed as a result of what's happened."
