Iran signals better ties with U.S.

TEHRAN, Iran - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday sent the clearest signal yet that the Islamic Republic wants warmer ties with the United States, just one day after Washington spoke of new strategies to address the country's disputed nuclear program.

Taken together, the developments indicate that the longtime adversaries are seeking ways to return to the negotiating table and ease a 30-year-old diplomatic standoff.

President Obama's administration has sought to start a dialogue with Iran, a departure from the Bush administration's tough talk. Iran had mostly dismissed the overtures, continuing to take hard-line steps, including putting an American journalist on trial on espionage allegations.

But in his speech yesterday, Ahmadinejad changed his tone, saying Iran was preparing proposals aimed at breaking an impasse with the West over its nuclear program.

"The Iranian nation is a generous nation. It may forget the past and start a new era, but any country speaking on the basis of selfishness will get the same response the Iranian nation gave to Mr. Bush," Ahmadinejad told thousands in the southeastern city of Kerman.

In Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton discussed Ahmadinejad's comments during a meeting with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana. "With respect to the latest speeches and remarks out of Iran, we welcome dialogue," Clinton said. "We've been saying that we are looking to have an engagement with Iran, but we haven't seen anything that would amount to any kind of proposal."

She said the group of nations trying to lure Iran back to the negotiating table would have more to say in coming days.

Though some see Ahmadinejad's speech as a good omen, others are skeptical.

Iranian observers cautioned that the conciliatory speech comes just two months before a June 12 election in which Ahmadinejad is vulnerable among poor voters because of his handling of the economy and among educated urbanites for pursuing a foreign policy that has soured relations with the West.

And it is unclear whether Ahmadinejad even has the clout to build a new relationship with the United States. Just last month, Iran's supreme leader, who has the final say on all state matters, dismissed Obama's offer for dialogue.

Iran's uranium-enrichment program has been the key point of contention. The Bush administration had insisted that Iran scrap enrichment before talks could begin, a demand Iran repeatedly rejected. A senior official said yesterday that the U.S. would be prepared to let Tehran continue enriching uranium at the current level for some time.

Uranium enrichment can be used to produce fuel for nuclear energy or weapons. The U.S. accuses Tehran of seeking to build weapons, which Iran denies.

There had been a few efforts in recent years to resolve some issues, but they appeared to go nowhere. Yesterday, Ahmadinejad said Iran welcomed dialogue provided it is based on justice and respect, suggesting the West should not try to force it to halt enrichment.

"Today we are preparing a new package. Once it becomes ready, we will present that package [to you]," he said. "It is a package that constitutes peace and justice throughout the globe and also respects other nations' rights." He didn't elaborate.