Iran's foreign minister said yesterday in a meeting with American journalists that his country's relations with the United States are at a very low point, but he thinks the November U.S. presidential election could open ways for renewed dialogue, even if President Bush is reelected. Boston Globe in its October , 1st edition quotes Kamal Kharrazi as saying ''Experience shows that a president who is in office for a second term usually becomes more realistic". Tehran and Washington cut their diplomatic relations following the 1979 revolution in Iran and the US hostage crisis. Tensions between the two countries further increased in 2002, when U.S. President George W. Bush labeled Iran, Iraq, and North Korea as an "axis of evil”.
Iran’s nuclear issue was touched upon in last night’s first Bush/Kerry debate although it was not one of the main issues. President Bush referring to the EU Trio nuclear talks with the Islamic Republic, said he hopes to continue “ to work with the world to convince the Iranian mullahs to abandon their nuclear ambitions.” Senator Kerry however said that the EU/Iran talks took place without the U.S. John Kerry said:”… the British, French, and Germans were the ones who initiated an effort without the United States, regrettably, to begin to try to move to curb the nuclear possibilities in Iran. I believe we could have done better.” Today the Washington post reported that Kerry was effective in stressing how the nuclear threat from North Korea and Iran has increased during the Bush presidency.
Meanwhile Reuters reported today, quoting an unnamed Russian official close to Iran/Russia nuclear talks, that Russia may call off next month’s planned signing of a deal to smooth out the launch of Iran’s first atomic reactor at Bushehr. According to the Reuters report “Russia's growing unease over Iran's nuclear policies could lead to Moscow backing U.S. efforts at IAEA next board meeting in November to take the Islamic Republic to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.”
The report comes just two days after Russia's Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov said his country opposes referring Iran's nuclear activities to the U.N. Security Council.
Yesterday, agencies reported Iran’s envoy to Russia has assured Moscow that Tehran would continue its cooperation with the UN nuclear agency to remove all concerns about its nuclear activities. Iran however has stressed producing nuclear fuel did not breach any U.N. nuclear rules
