Special to WorldTribune.com

NICOSIA — Iran has demanded policy changes before it
considers reconciliation with the United States.

Officials said the Teheran regime was still waiting for gestures by the
administration of President Barack Obama. They said the gestures would
include concessions to Iran’s nuclear program.

“We will wait for practical moves by the United States and serious changes in their policies,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchi said.

The Foreign Ministry briefing on July 16, marked the first official Iranian statement on U.S. efforts to reconcile with Teheran since the presidential election of Hassan Rowhani in June. Days earlier, the
White House called for direct negotiations with Iran.

But Araqchi appeared to distinguish between Iran’s willingness to conduct a dialogue with the European Union as opposed to the United States. He said Obama’s statements of support for Rowhani and Iranian elections were insufficient.

“As our experience in the past proved, pleasing words do not suffice,”
Araqchi said. “The behavior of the United States in practice is what
constitutes our criterion to change our view of interaction with them.”

Western diplomats said Obama has sent messages to the Iranian leadership
via several intermediaries, particularly Turkey. They said the messages
called for a high-level dialogue that would determine the requirements of
reconciliation between Washington and Teheran.

Britain has also urged a high-level dialogue with Teheran. On July 15,
former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he would be prepared to
meet the Iranian leadership as part of the British-Iran Parliamentary Group.

“The Foreign Ministry has not received any official requests,” Araqchi
said. “We would welcome such interest in traveling to Iran.”

Both London and Washington have expressed hopes that Rowhani would make
significant changes that could lead to an Iranian reconciliation with the
West. But in a statement on July 16, Rowhani said he would support Iran’s
alliance with its Lebanese proxy Hizbullah as well as Syria in a coalition
against Israel. Rowhani, scheduled to assume office on Aug. 4, also
dismissed the prospect of an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“There has been a lot of talk that this option is on the table,” Rowhani
said. “You laugh when you hear them. Who are the Zionists to threaten us?”

  Abbas Araqchi, Hassan Rowhani, Iran wants more Obama concessions: ‘Pleasing words do not suffice’, Iran’s nuclear program