Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on Wednesday that the country may soon resume political dialogue with the U.S., after three decades of frozen relations.
“Several letters have been received from congressmen and senators. Several were addressed to the last parliament [whose term ended in March] and one was received just recently,” Larijani told parliament.
“The contents of these letters carry the same idea. In the last one, the American congressmen have requested to begin dialogue with Iran in many problems, taking into account the present world situation,” the speaker said.
Iranian lawmakers are not quite ready to answer their American counterparts because of the “uncertain situation” as the U.S. waits for Barack Obama to assume office, he said.
“We have not yet answered their letter, but have not given a negative response to it either. It is under examination,” said Larijani, who until October last year represented Iran in international negotiations on the country”s controversial nuclear program.
The two countries severed diplomatic relations when Islamist students took American diplomats hostage for 444 days following the 1979 Islamic revolution which toppled the U.S.-backed shah.
