Obama Says His Team Is ‘Looking for Openings’ With Iran

Mary Lu Carnevale reports on politics. President Barack Obama said at his first primetime news conference tonight that his national security team is reviewing the U.S. policy toward Iran, and he expects to be “looking for openings that can be created where we can start sitting across the table, face to face.” The question on Iran was one of several that strayed from the topic of the night : the country’s economic crisis and Obama’s push for congressional passage of an $800-billion-plus rescue package. Obama said his advisers are “currently reviewing our existing Iran policy, looking at areas where we can have constructive dialogue, where we can directly engage with them,” ultimately moving “our policy in a new direction.” Still, he said, “There’s been a lot of mistrust built up over the years, so it’s not going to happen overnight.” He cautioned that even as it tries direct diplomacy, the U.S. must make it clear about its concerns, “that Iran understands that we find ... (link)