US and Iran 'Like Two Boxers Circling around a Ring'

This week has seen a number of comments from leaders in the US and Iran that signal a potential thawing in relations. German commentators welcome the change in tone but worry that talk of negotiations might merely be wishful thinking.

A series of diplomatic comments emanating from leaders in both Washington and Tehran this week indicate that a slow thawing of relations may have already have begun between the two countries.

The exchange began with United States President Barack Obama's inauguration speechlast month, when he told Muslim countries that America "will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist." This sentiment was echoed in a press conference on Monday, when Obama said that his administration was reviewing Iran policy and "looking at areas where we can have constructive dialogue" and acknowledged that "there's been a lot of mistrust built up over the years."

On Tuesday, in Tehran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad responded with his own gentler words. "Our nation is ready to hold talks based on mutual respect and in a fair atmosphere," Ahmadinejad said in front of tens of thousands of spectators while delivering a speech marking the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Iranian revolution.

This exchange was followed by more statements on Wednesday. Hassan Qashqavi, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, sounded a harsher tone when he said that talks would only come if the US stopped making "baseless" accusations against Iran about seeking nuclear weapons and supporting terrorism, according to the Associated Press. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottak struck a softer tone when he told Reuters that changes in US policies and stances would be greeted as "happy news" in Tehran.

Also on Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told reporters she was hopeful that the US and Iran would be able to "work out a way of talking." At a news conference with Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, whose country currently holds the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union, Clinton added that Washington might "reconsider where we stand" on its deployment of a missile shield in Eastern Europe if it feels Iran is willing to abandoned its alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons. Clinton added, however, that "we are a long, long way from seeing any evidence of a behavioral change." Under the missile defense program planned by former US President George W. Bush, the Czech Republic would have been the site of a major radar installation used in the shield.

German commentators, who are generally opposed to the US missile plan, welcome these statements but also express concern. Commentators fear there is too much uncertainty in the region, with the final outcome of Israeli election still uncertain and presidential elections in Iran slated for June 12. The outcome of both elections could deeply influence -- positively or negatively -- any efforts aimed at rapprochement.