TIMES ONLINE: The White House warned Iran last night that military action is still one of its options despite the "hand of friendship" offered by President Obama.
Officials moved to cool fevered expectations - and assuage lingering European concerns - about plans to thaw a 30 year freeze in US relations.
Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, reiterated that any talks held with the Iranian leadership would not necessarily be with President Ahmadinejad and would involve careful preparations beforehand.
Asked if the use of force was still possible, he replied: "The President hasn't changed his viewpoint that he should preserve all his options." Mr Gibbs added that the US needed to address Iran's sponsorship of terrorism and its threats against Israel, as well as an "illicit nuclear programme". >>> Tom Baldwin in Washington | Friday, January 30, 2009
THE GUARDIAN: US Overtures Divide Iran's Policymakers
Iran's foreign minister said yesterday that Tehran would be "co-operative" in response to changes in US policy, following the revelation that President Barack Obama's team is drafting a landmark letter to the Islamic Republic aimed at thawing a three-decade freeze in relations.
Manouchehr Mottaki, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, hedged his response by saying that Obama would have to change Washington's policy in the Middle East, "not in saying but in practice". If that happened, he said, the new administration would definitely find "a cooperative approach and reaction" from the region, and from Iran in particular.
The remarks followed the Guardian's report on Thursday that Obama was formulating a conciliatory letter to Iran's leadership aimed at unfreezing relations between Washington and Tehran and clearing the way for direct talks for the first time since the 1979 Islamic revolution. >>> Julian Borger and Robert Tait | Friday, January 30, 2009
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