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September 23, 2010
State Department spokesman Philip Crowley dismissed report that US and Iranian officials had opened secret contacts
NEW YORK — The United States on Wednesday dismissed a news report that US and Iranian officials had opened secret contacts in New York aimed at establishing a channel of communications.
“I’m aware of no contacts between US and Iranian officials in New York,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters when asked for comment on a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
“Our focus right now is on the P5-plus-one process,” he said.
He was referring to talks held here Wednesday on Iran’s nuclear program that involved the permanent five UN Security Council members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — plus Germany.
Citing sources in New York, Haaretz reported on its website that US and Iranian diplomats met secretly at UN headquarters in New York to discuss a US initiative to establish unofficial diplomatic relations.
It said officials in the delegation of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was in New York for the UN General Assembly, are involved in the talks.