Iran extends olive branch to Israel and U.S. http://story.irishsun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/2411cd3571b4f088/id/322237/cs/1/ Iran says its relations with Israel could change, and its ties with the U.S. would not remain severed forever. The country's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, in an interview with Israeli media, also reiterated Iran was not pursuing nuclear weapons. Speaking to the radio network, Voice of Israel, at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Sunday, Mottaki said, "Iran is not threatening Israel and does not want nuclear weapons." "Israel has nuclear weapons and it is threatening Teheran," he said. The Iranian foreign minister said there were two countries Iran did not recognize, apartheid-era South Africa, and Israel. "In the case of South Africa, the problem was solved with the end of apartheid, and if the situation also changes in the other case (Israel), there is no reason why relations with that country cannot change too," he said. Separately, Mottaki said Iran-U.S. ties would not remain severed forever. Speaking to reporters on Saturday night at the World Economic Forum, Mottaki said that he could, "imagine a day to normalize ties with the U.S. but there are many obstacles." Mottaki stressed Tehran does not want severance of ties with Washington despite the current tension over Iran's nuclear program, and its alleged support for insurgents in Iraq. However, the Iranian minister said the time and mechanism of normalizing Iran-U.S. ties were dependent on "a number of factors." He added that any change in Iran-US ties was not related to U.S. presidential election but related "to the U.S. policy towards Iran." "We have not so far, seen any change in U.S. policies," Mottaki said.
