Ahead of June 12 presidential election in Iran, President Obama sent a letter to the Islamic Republic's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for an improvement in relations, according to Iranian sources, The Washington Times reported Wednesday.
U.S. officials declined to confirm the letter. "We have indicated a willingness to talk for a long time and have sought to communicate with the Iranians in a variety of ways," one official said.
However, an Iranian source told The Washington Times that the letter was sent between May 4 and May 10 and laid out the prospect of "cooperation in regional and bilateral relations" and a resolution of the dispute over Iran's nuclear program. The source said the letter was given to the Iranian Foreign Ministry by a representative of the Swiss Embassy, which represents U.S. interests in Iran. The letter was then delivered to the office of Ayatollah Khamenei, he said.
