Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday
predicted that relations between Iran and the United States would
improve following the US presidential election.
'Regardless of who would become next (US) president, whether from
this (Democratic) or that (Republican) party, that person would have
more understanding with Iran,' Ahmadinejad told state television.
'The probability of talks in the future between the two sides in
certain fields definitely exists,' he said.
Without officially admitting it, Iran clearly favours Democratic
candidate Barack Obama as the next US president, especially as Obama
has several times spoken in favour of resuming diplomatic talks with
Iran.
Another reason for favouring Obama is his second name Hussein
which is also the name of the third Shiite Imam who is highly
respected in Iran.
Ahmadinejad further said there are already several requests by US
non-governmental sections through the Swiss embassy - representing US
interests in Iran - to hold talks with Iran, adding that these talks
would eventually be held in line with national interests.
'Except for the Zionist regime, we are willing to talk all
countries, including the US,' the president said.
Ahmadinejad once again welcomed US plans to set up an interests
section, a form of de facto embassy without full embassy status, in
Tehran.
'There is no official request yet, but if (there was), we would
definitely consider it with a positive approach,' he said.
There have been US press reports and official indications that
Washington was considering opening an interests section in Tehran
which would also issue visas for Iranian nationals with relatives in
the US.
Although the plan to open an interests section in Tehran has not
yet been confirmed by Washington, US Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice said she wished to see more Iranians visiting the US.
Iranians themselves would definitely welcome the opening of an
interest section in Tehran as currently they have to go to
neighbouring Dubai or Istanbul to apply for a visa and pay at least
1,000 dollars per trip.
Diplomatic relations between Iran and the US were broken off after
the 444-day occupation of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979 by radical
Iranian students.
Earlier Monday, Ahmadinejad showed himself much harsher towards
the US when he predicted the 'abolishment' of the United States
empire in the Gulf and Middle East region, ISNA news agency reported.
Iran has in recent days reiterated several times that recent
missile tests by the Revolutionary Guards were no threat to the Gulf
states, but just a reaction to military threats by the US and Israel
to hit Iran's nuclear sites.
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