WASHINGTON (AFP) — In an interview with the New York Times on Friday, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said he would hold direct talks with Iran if elected to the White House.
Iran has been a hot topic among Democratic and Republican candidates amid belligerent statements from President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney about possible repercussions if Tehran refuses to halt its nuclear program.
Washington has not had direct ties with Tehran since 1979.
Obama told the Times that if elected he would "engage in aggressive personal diplomacy" with Iran, part of a broader policy aimed at stabilizing neighboring Iraq in order to withdraw US troops.
"We are willing to talk about certain assurances in the context of them showing some good faith," Obama told the Times.
"I would meet directly with Iranian leaders," he said.
"I think it is important for us to send a signal that we are not hellbent on regime change, just for the sake of regime change, but expect changes in behavior. And there are both carrots and there are sticks available to them for those changes in behavior."
Obama, 46, first has to defeat Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and get his party's nomination to run, then defeat his Republican rival, to move into the White House.
Clinton, 60, has a clear lead in national polls for the Democratic nomination, but a narrow lead over Obama in Iowa and New Hampshire, two key states that vote early in the party nominating process.
People in the United States see Iran as by far the greatest threat to world stability, according to a Gallup poll out Wednesday.
But 57 percent also told pollsters that they did not know enough about the situation to give an opinion about sanctions.
Iran insists its nuclear drive is peaceful.
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