The US State Department said it is willing to explore the possibility of welcoming Iran into an international coalition to fight terrorism.
Spokeswoman Brenda Greenberg said Saturday night that Iran's "very positive" responses to Tuesday's terrorist attacks in the US and "the sentiments that they raise" are worth exploring to see if a cooperative relationship in fighting terrorism is possible.
She also noted that Iran has a long history of opposition to Taliban rule in Afghanistan. The US has been at odds with the Taliban as well because it has given shelter to Osama bin Laden, the Saudi exile who is a suspect in the terrorist attacks.
"We will not rule out the possibility of any country working with the United States and the international community in our fight against terrorism," she said.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell has been pushing for a global anti-terrorism front since the attacks.
After Tuesday's attacks, Iran's reformist president, Mohammad Khatami, condemned global terrorism and said it is an "international duty" to try to undermine it.
Greenberg's statement was the first of a positive nature about Iran since President George W. Bush took office. Former President Bill Clinton tried without success to open an official dialogue with Iran.
Powell withdrew the offer of talks with Iran last spring and said discussions can occur only when it "makes some sense."
For years, the State Department has said Iran is the world's principal exporter of terrorism. There have been no political discussions between the two countries for more than two decades, the result of bitter opposition to the US from hardline clerics in Iran who control national security policy.
The first hint of a fresh look at Iran occurred Thursday when Richard Haass, a top State Department planning aide, floated the idea of a role for Iran in the proposed anti-terrorism coalition during an interview with BBC.
He cited Iran's positive response to the terrorist attacks.
At the time, Haass appeared to offer a personal opinion because other State Department officials were cool to an Iranian role in the coalition.
A senior official said then it would be just speculation to suggest Iran could be counted on to take action against terrorism.
Another official, also speaking privately, said signing up Iran and other US adversaries in the proposed coalition would ensure its ineffectiveness because these countries would attempt to block decisive action.
James Philips, a Middle East expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said he would be "extremely suspicious" that countries such as Iran and Libya could make a positive contribution to the proposed coalition.
Phillips said he might change his mind "if they would be willing to offer bases. That would be proof they would be serious in helping us stage possible air strikes."
Lee Feinstein, who was a top State Department aide in the Clinton administration, said a diverse coalition that includes Muslim countries would be more viable politically than one limited largely to Western allies.
He said Iran might be a helpful addition so long as unanimity is not a prerequisite for coalition action. He added that he does "not want to be in a position of dropping the legitimate concerns the administration has about Iranian actions in the Middle East."
Meanwhile, Iran said on Saturday it would seal its border with Afghanistan to prevent a possible influx of refugees as the prospects of a US strike against the Taliban movement increased, the official IRNA news agency reported.
RSS