26 March 2009

Al-Manaar -- Iran’s Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said in Najaf on Wednesday that the Iran-US problems are not the emotional or sensational ones to be solved through greetings or words.

“We do not wish to take tough or soft stances against the new event,” Larijani, who is in Najaf on an Islamic visit and non-official tour, made the remarks in an interview with reporters when asked about the Iran-US relations during the tenure of US President Barack Obama and his greetings to Iranians on Nowrouz (New Year).

He said, “We believe the problems should be followed up with ease and without haste.”

He went on to say that the Iran-US problems are of various and diversified types, caused by certain reasons which should be investigated.

“One of the reasons (for the Iran-US problems) is the US support for the former Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein’s incursion into Iran that is known to everybody,” he said.

On his talks with Iraqi Shiites’ religious dignitary, the Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Larijani said that in the meeting, important global and regional issues, especially those concerning the world of Islam, were discussed.

He said Ayatollah Sistani has clear and constructive stances on the Iraqi and regional issues. As for Iran-Iraq relations, Larijani said relations between the two nations are not something new, rather they have long historical, cultural and religious roots.

“We understand the problems and sufferings of Iraqi people either during the reign of the former regime or at the time of occupation and have rushed help to Iraqi people under every condition,” he concluded.

Obama’s Overture

However, for its part, Iran welcomed Obama's olive branch and overture but wanted concrete action. A top advisor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali Akbar Javanfekr said: "we welcome the wish of the US president to put away past differences." But the way to do that is not by Iran forgetting the previous hostile and aggressive attitude of the United States," Javanfekr said. “If Obama shows willingness to take action, the Iranian government will not show its back to him." Javanfekr added while stressing Iran wanted to end the "animosities" between the two countries.

Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana voiced hope that Obama's message to Iran marks a "new chapter" in international relations with Tehran. "I think it is a very constructive message," Solana told reporters as he entered talks on the second and last day of an EU summit in Brussels. "I hope it will open a new chapter in the relations with Tehran," he added.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy also welcomed Obama's appeal as "good news". "We have been waiting for years for the Americans to re-engage in the Iranian issue," Sarkozy told reporters after a European Union summit in Brussels.

The message is a dramatic departure from the policies of the George W Bush's administration, which described Iran as part of the "axis of evil", analysts from Washington said.

Earlier this year, President Obama said he was looking for "openings that can be created where we can start sitting across the table face-to-face" with Iran.

The US President’s address clearly signaled his administration's recognition of Iran as a potential negotiating partner and that even Obama has declined to take the military option against Iran off the table.

Obama’s speech is also seen as a tacit recognition that Tehran is a key player in several hot-button issues for the United States, including how Washington extricates itself from Iraq, US efforts to tamp down a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, and progress on the longstanding Middle East conflict between Israel and Arabs.