Iran on Sunday urged the United States to change the strategy before the talks between the two countries are initiated.
Iran's parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani who has participated at the three-day Munich Security Conference, which opened on Friday afternoon, told Iran's IRNA news agency on Sunday that the U.S. needs a change of strategy to facilitate the direct talks with Iran.
Larijani stressed the change not just in "tone" and "tactic" but in the strategic policy of the United States which according to him meant a significant change in the outlook and in practice by the new U.S. administration.
The U.S. vice president Joe Biden said on Saturday at the security conference in Germany that the Obama administration is determined to establish "a new tone" in relations with other countries, touching on Washington's ties with Europe, Iran and Russia, among other topics.
On the Iranian nuclear issue, the U.S. vice president said the Obama administration is reviewing its policies towards Tehran.
Biden said, "We will be willing to talk to Iran, and to offer a very clear choice. Continue down the current course, then there will be continued pressure and isolation."
This was what Iran's Larijani picked to direct his objections at: "The question is as follows: Do the Americans want to pursue the same old policies against Iran by merely using a different tone?...Their (Americans') terms are slightly different, however, it is a tactical, not a strategy change."
He had already said in the opening speech in Munich that "The carrot and stick policy (toward Iran) must be dropped."
When he was asked whether Iran would be ready for direct talks with the United States, he threw the ball to the field of Americans by stating that "This depends on whether the U.S. is prepared to change its strategy. We have to know what their objectives are... Practical steps for such a dialogue between Tehran and Washington would be a strategy change."
On Saturday, Iran's government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham criticized the new U.S. President Barak Obama for following George W. Bush's approach and rhetoric towards Iran.
"The era of this (Bush's) literature (tone) has passed and speaking in the language of the past is not suitable for today's situation," Elham said, referring to Obama's emphasis on the need for the suspension of Iran's nuclear activities, adding that "Today you cannot speak illogically and you cannot set preconditions."
It seemed at Munich Conference that Iran went beyond the demands of giving up the "preconditions" as the United States showed signs of stretching the hands towards Iran.
In Munich, Larijani set Iran's preconditions when he urged the new U.S. administration to admit past "wrongdoings" before dialogue and reconciliation could be realized between the two countries, apart from changing strategic policies toward Iran.
Obama has expressed his inclination to talk to Iran, but has not concealed his willingness for the halt of Iran's sensitive nuclear activities and its support of terrorism in the region.
Washington has been trying to beef up the UN-passed as well as its own sanctions against Tehran for being involved in anti-U.S. coalition forces activities and for allegedly developing nuclear weapons secretly.
Iran has denied the charges and insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
(Xinhua News Agency February 9, 2009)