US 'to open Iran base in weeks'

[Afshin]

The US has refused to deny reports that it will establish a US diplomatic presence in Iran in the next month.

The UK's Guardian newspaper reports the US plans to open an interests section in Tehran, its first diplomatic presence in the country for 30 years.

The state department said its policy towards Iran was unchanged, but that it wanted to reach out to Iranians.

It comes as the US announced that a top diplomat would attend talks in Geneva with the Iranians on Saturday.

The talks will be the first time in 30 years that such a high-ranking US diplomat - the third-most senior in the US - has met Iranian officials.

Change of tone

US officials said recently that the idea of a diplomatic presence in Iran was being discussed, but that it was not being actively worked on.

The unsourced Guardian report said that the interests section - a step towards setting up an embassy - would be similar to the one in Cuba.

When asked for a comment, the state department sent out a note with past comments made by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

She said that while US policy towards Iran was known and unchanged, the Iranian people deserved better.

Ms Rice added that the US was determined to find ways to reach out to the Iranian people and wanted more Iranians to visit the US.

While Washington still insists Iran must suspend uranium enrichment - a process the West fears could be used to make nuclear weapons - there seems to be a significant change in US tone, says the BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington.

Tehran has an interests section in Washington, where it processes visa applications and which gives it a presence on the ground in the US.

But the US has not had a diplomatic presence in Iran since the hostage crisis in 1979, and Iranians have to go to Dubai to get US visas.

[ali_europe]

American plans in IRAQ and Afghanistan both failed.... American ecconomy is very weak and new ecconomical  powers like china and India and even Russia will soon challenge US domination in Asia and middle east,...

America can't start new wars.... that's mean IRAN's decsision to continue with nuclear program was absolutly correct...I was since late 90's telling in most of forums the only choice of third world nations to become a democracy is to get stronger and resist US pressure, even western pressure might be taff... and if you look globaly those nations like IRAN/Venezuela which didn't give up are becoming regional powers..... others who just gave up under pressure as Saddam, we all now what happened to their countries....

US times of superpower are getting close to its end...American ecconomy is losing globaly, domination of dollar will soon be over

it is important for IRAN to now do the right decisions and not doing mistakes!

What IRAN should do is(no matter which government we have in IRAN):

A)continuing with nuclear program no matter how many pressure from West would come

B) not supporting or helping Americans in IRAQ or Afghanistan or Lebanon, cuz Yankees would trick you to help them by making some promises and later they would put the pressure on you, once the are done in IRAQ... so IRAN should keep supporting Hezbollah in Lebanon and let Americans having their troubles in IRAQ and Afghanistan..this must be a part of IRAN's defence doctrine. it would be better for IRAN if Americans would be forced to leave the region and lose both wars...
Americans out of region would bring for IRAN and all nations in middle east more peace and new chances for regional cooperation

C) working closer with INDIA/CHINA/RUSSIA and join the Shanghai group(this would strategically and ecconomically strengthen IRAN's position vs WEST

D) start with a slow democratization process in IRAN 

[Afshin]

The sooner US bullying of other nations is brought to an end the better.  Good to see other economies such as China forcing the US back, the US can talk big on TV but their military expenditure has brought their country to their knees.  All the money they waste attacking and bombing other nations and their own country's economy is in a mess and could use that money wasted on military.

[aliirooni]

US is goring through one of of its most serious economic crisis in its modern history and another war is not what she needs, at the same time she can't put up with Iran so this is one way for them to deal with Iran.

I still say there is politics behind it and I don't trust US but I guess I like this approach better than war.