Report: Perry talked to Iranian official

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry and a senior adviser to the Iranian president held undisclosed talks last year, a person close to the talks says.

The source said the talks with Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi, closest aide to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, were "discussions, not negotiations," designed to clarify the two sides' positions, The Washington Times reported Friday.

It was not clear whether Perry, who also served as a Clinton administration troubleshooter on the North Korean nuclear program, was acting at the behest of the Bush administration or others. The United States has accused Iran of developing a program that could give it nuclear weapons and of supporting Arab militant groups. Iran denies both accusations.

U.S. and European diplomats predicted the Obama administration would avoid high-level official meetings with Iran before that nation holds presidential elections in June. An aide to Ahmadinejad said that the president would seek re-election.