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Gates for U.S., Iran contacts

WASHINGTON: U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates called for more visits to Iran by U.S. citizens on Wednesday, saying private contacts might help bridge differences between the two countries.

Talking at the American Academy of Diplomacy, Mr. Gates said: “We need to figure out a way to develop some leverage with the Iranians and then sit down and talk with them. There are actually many Iranians who visit the U.S. We ought to increase the flow going the other way, not of Iranians but of Americans, and that may be one way of creating some space perhaps over some period of time.”

The U.S. has been trying to strengthen its sanctions against Tehran for allegedly developing secretly nuclear weapons. Since 2007, they have held talks over Iraq’s security problems. — Xinhua

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