WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki visited Washington ahead of the 5 plus 1 nuclear talks in Geneva to meet with the Iranian Interests Section at Pakistan's Embassy, U.S. officials said.
State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters it was the first visit to the U.S. capital by an Iranian foreign minister since 1978 -- before the Islamic revolution that toppled the shah in 1979.
Kelly said he was not aware if Mottaki met with or had talks with any Obama administration officials. Media reports said Mottaki met with an unspecified number of Congress members, other officials and former State Department officials.
"I'm not aware that he met with any American officials," Kelly said.
"He requested permission to come down here to talk to people in the Pakistani Embassy in the Iranian Interests Section, and this just fell in line with our normal policy and procedures for handling interests sections and was consistent with the President's commitment of principled engagement."
Mottaki flew into Washington Wednesday from New York, where he attended the U.N. General Assembly, and left Thursday as the 5 plus 1 talks in Geneva got under way.
The historic sit-down also involved Russia, China, Britain and France, besides U.S. Under Secretary of State William Burns and Tehran's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili.
Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley said Mottaki was granted permission to visit Washington after an Iranian request.
The Iranian Ettelaat newspaper's English-language Web site noted Mottaki's visit came less than a day before Iran and the United States held their first diplomatic talks in 30 years in Geneva.
In 1980 Iran and the United States severed diplomatic relations that had already broken down, when Iranian militants seized hostages at the U.S. Embassy in 1979 and held them captive for 444 days.
Iranian government officials regularly visit the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, but there is no indication yet if they ever requested or were offered contact with various U.S. administrations in the 30-year hiatus.
The BBC said of the Geneva talks, "The Americans seem to want to play up their importance, perhaps as evidence that President Barack Obama's so-called 'hand of friendship' is generating a positive response."
"The most important thing to remember in examining this visit is that the U.S. State Department granted Mottaki the visa to visit Washington," said Stratfor Global Intelligence on its Web site. "In other words, Mottaki did not just come to Washington; the United States allowed him to come. This is a significant diplomatic gesture, even if the U.S. administration is going to great lengths to downplay it."
Kaveh L. Afrasiabi, author of two books on Iran, wrote on the Asia Times Web site, "The October surprise in U.S.-Iran relations now consists of the fact that despite numerous hurdles, a semi-successful initial direct encounter between the U.S. and Iran has transpired.
"This could conceivably be deepened in subsequent meetings, which will in turn further build confidence, especially against the backdrop of a rather poisoned environment filled with accusations and counter-accusations."
Stratfor said it learned that Mottaki met with a former hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, senior State Department Iran expert Henry Precht.
Precht was a political officer in the American Embassy in Tehran from 1972 to 1976 and served as chief of the Iran desk in the State Department from 1978 to 1980. The U.S. Embassy was taken over in November 1979 -- nine months after the revolution -- by students loyal to Islamic Republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Now retired, Precht follows Iranian developments closely and has vocalized his opposition to military action against Iran.
Stratfor said Precht "is regarded by Tehran as a trusted intermediary and could well be a back channel to the administration, but again, Mottaki would not have to travel to Washington to meet an individual like Precht."
