Iran seems to be finally opening up to the US after a history of acrimony and strained relationships.

The Iran-US nuclear deal seems to have thawed the ice between the nations and small changes are evidence of that. The Christian Science Monitor reports that this week five American students have been enrolled in a Master's program in Iranian studies at Tehran University. This is a breakthrough because Americans were denied visas at the university prior to this. Additionally three more Americans are starting with studies in Persian language programs at the school.

Mahdi Ahouie, the head of the Department of Iranian Studies at the university, spoke to the CS Monitor about the sudden changes they were observing.

"This really is a breakthrough," Ahouie said. "It seems to us this has changed, as part of Mr. Rouhani's policy to open the country to academic exchange. We don't know if it is because of the nuclear deal, but something has happened."

Recently in his first interview post the nuclear deal the country's prime minister Hassan Rouhani addressed the contentious Iranian slogan "Death to America."

Speaking to CBS's 60 minutes suggested that it was very important to take context into consideration and not charge the slogan with an immediacy, like terrorists do. The slogan is the product of a historically strained relationship between the two countries and has just been carried forward.

"This slogan that is chanted is not a slogan against the American people," he said.

He went on to assert that Iranian people actually respected Americans and this was not a war cry but a criticisim of America's policies toward their country.

"Our people respect the American people. The Iranian people are not looking for war with any country, but at the same time the policies of the United States have been against the national interests of Iranian people," he added.

Watch a preview of the interview: