What shape will U.S.-Iranian relations take under President Obama?

When Barack Obama was campaigning for president, he promised to make a strong diplomatic effort to improve relations with Iran. Diplomacy means dealing with relations between countries, and finding ways for them to get along better with each other. One of Barack Obama's first actions after his election was to be interviewed by an Arabic-language television station about U.S. relations with Iran and other countries in the Middle East. The quote you see here is from that interview. What do you think President Obama meant by this statement? Do you think this statement is good diplomacy?

President Ahmadinejad says he is "ready for talks" with the United States. The situation with Iran is very complicated, however. Under President Ahmadinejad, Iran has become isolated from the rest of the world. Many countries, including the United States, fear that Iran could be building nuclear weapons. The man on the left, Mohammed Khatami, used to be the president of Iran, but his term ended in 2005. He is going to run for president again against President Ahmadinejad this summer. Mr. Khatami wants to reform Iran, making it more open and allowing more freedoms.

Unlike in the United States, in Iran there is a leader who is above the president. That person is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran. The Supreme Leader controls the military, the government, and even the radio and television networks in Iran. Ayatollah Khamenei in the past has cracked down harshly on any attempts at reform.

How do you think President Obama should go about dealing with Iran?

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