@oristarA,
"Burning shoe leather in Iran" means "send some reporters to walk the streets in Iran and really understand what is going on."
"Humanizing Iranians" means "see them as people instead of a faceless stereotype."
Combined the author is suggesting that the newspaper should send reporters to Iran to more fully understand the beliefs and motivations of the Iranian people before war mongers can stereotype them as terrorists and encourage those who are ignorant of Iranians to attack them.