(CNN) -- The deal struck at the weekend between Iran and world powers over its nuclear program is not just a triumph of Western diplomacy, but a step forward in the budding rapprochement between Iran and the U.S. that had been long in the making. 

Every U.S. administration from Reagan to Obama has tried to reach out to Iran. Unfortunately, these efforts all failed because the circumstances for rapprochement were not quite right -- unlike today, where Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani, has been determined to outflank his ideological opponents in Tehran and reach a deal with the West. 

The Obama administration seems equally determined -- despite opposition from Saudi Arabia and Israel, as well as an obstructive Congress -- to welcome the Iranians back into the international community, so long as they agree to play by the rules. 

This is Obama's "opening to China" moment and he must seize it. 

Ever since Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979 and initiated the 444-day Iran-hostage crisis, the United States and Iran have been regional arch-nemeses. Even so, in the thirty years since this traumatic event, there have been periodic efforts to improve relations. 

The first episode occurred in 1985 when Israeli officials helped facilitate a back-channel approach to so-called Iranian "moderates", represented by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. This led to the infamous "Mission to Tehran", where senior U.S. officials traveled to Tehran to trade weapons and spare parts in exchange for the release of American hostages held in Lebanon. This mission failed spectacularly. Details were leaked to the press, leading to the Iran-Contra scandal, which nearly brought the Reagan administration down. 

Answer this series of questions:

1. What country was the main focus of the issue?
2. What program was in discussion?
3. Was this deal a long time coming?
4. What U.S president was a part of this deal?
5. Did Reagan try to do the same thing?
6. Did it work out for him?
7. Who is Iran's President?
8. Is he new?
9. Who did he want to reach a deal with?
10. Where were his ideological opponents at?
11. Did obama have opposition?
12. Was it from a country or a person?
13. Which country?
14. What similar opening was this like for obama?
15. Were the students that stormed out Iranian or American?
16. When did this happen?
17. Where?
18. In want place/location?
19. What crisis happened due to the storm out?
20. For how many days?

Numbered answers:
1. Iran
2. Nuclear Program
3. Yes.
4. Obama.
5. Yes.
6. No.
7. Hassan Rouhani
8. Yes.
9. With the west.
10. Tehran
11. Yes
12. Country
13. Saudi Arabia and Israel
14. Opening to China
15. Iranian
16. November 4, 1979
17. U.S. Embasssy
18. ehran
19. Iran-hostage crisis
20. 444