Iran says sees talks on U.S. office and flights

By Zerin Elci

ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran said on Friday it saw a possibility for talks on the United States opening a diplomatic presence in Tehran and direct flights between the two countries, nearly three decades after Washington severed ties with Iran.

"I think there may be talks on both the U.S. founding an interest preserving bureau in Iran and direct flights between the two countries," Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told a news conference in Ankara.

He did not specify when and in what form those talks could occur. Mottaki said Iran had last year proposed direct flights because of demand coming from Americans and Iranians.

The United States has been looking at opening an interests section in Iran to help improve ties with the country.

Washington cut off diplomatic ties with Tehran during the 1979-1981 hostage crisis, in which a group of militant Iranian students held 52 U.S. diplomats hostage at the American embassy for 444 days.

Washington has an interests section in Havana, Cuba, which is formally part of the Swiss embassy. In reality it is fully independent. The Islamic Republic maintains an interests section at the embassy of Pakistan in Washington.

"There have been Americans coming to Iran in last years for academic and trade purposes. We support these developments between peoples. There are many American companies doing business in Iran," Mottaki said.

Washington has led efforts in the international community to isolate Tehran, accusing it of seeking to build nuclear bombs. Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil exporter, says its nuclear work is solely aimed at producing electricity.