Iranian president opens way for talks with U.S.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s hard-line president told crowds celebrating the Islamic revolution’s anniversary Tuesday that the country is ready for talks with the United States, the strongest signal yet that Tehran welcomes President Barack Obama’s calls for dialogue.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made the comments in a speech to hundreds of thousands celebrating the 30th anniversary of the revolution, which ousted the U.S-backed shah and installed rule by hard-line Muslim clerics. The event led to a collapse in relations between the two countries and years of enmity.

As usual at such gatherings, there were chants of “Death to America,” along with the burning of U.S. and Israeli flags. But the chanting stopped as Ahmadinejad spoke of dialogue with the United States, and the firebrand president refrained from the denunciations of America that often mark his speeches.

Since Obama’s election, Iranian leaders have struck a cautious tone over his campaign promises to open a dialogue with Tehran, signaling that the government was undecided on how to respond. On Tuesday, Ahmadinejad made it clear Iran is prepared to talk, citing terrorism, the elimination of nuclear weapons, restructuring the U.N. Security Council and fighting drug trafficking as possible areas for discussion.

“The Iranian nation is ready for talks [with the U.S.], but in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect,” Ahmadinejad told the crowds in Tehran’s Freedom Square.

His comments came the day after Obama said his administration was looking for opportunities to engage Iran and pledged to rethink Washington’s relationship with Tehran.

But Ahmadinejad also declared that Iran is now a “superpower” — pointing to the recent launch of the first locally made satellite into space — and made clear it expects to be treated as an equal.

“If you really want to fight terrorism, come and cooperate with the Iranian nation, which is the biggest victim of terrorism, so that terrorism is eliminated. ... If you want to confront nuclear weapons ... you need to stand beside Iran so it can introduce a correct path to you,” he said.

Ahmadinejad did not elaborate, but in the past he and other Iranian leaders have criticized the U.S. for its nuclear arsenal.

His speech comes as he begins campaigning for a second term. He faces a formidable challenge in the June election from Iran’s top reformist politician, former President Mohammad Khatami, who entered the race over the weekend. Khatami has supported improving ties with the West.

Asked about Ahmadinejad’s comments, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Iranian government has an opportunity “to unclench their fist and to begin a serious and responsible discussion about a range of matters.”

“We still persist in our view that Iran should not obtain nuclear weapons, that it would be a very unfortunate course for them to pursue, and we hope there will be opportunity in the future for us to develop a better understanding of one another and to work out a way of talking that would produce positive results for the people of Iran,” she said.

Tehran and Washington severed relations nearly three decades ago after the 1979 Iranian revolution and the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by hard-line Iranian students.

But relations deteriorated even further after the Sept. 11 attacks when former President George W. Bush declared Iran belonged to an “axis of evil.” Ahmadinejad widened that gap after he was elected in 2005 and defied the U.S. and its allies by pursuing Iran’s controversial nuclear program.

The U.S. believes Iran is secretly trying to pursue nuclear weapons, but Iran has denied this accusation, saying its program is solely for peaceful purposes such as electricity.