Whoever wins, U.S. wants talks with Iran

By Sue Pleming - Analysis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama plans to pursue attempts to engage Tehran whether hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or his moderate rival Mirhossein Mousavi ultimately emerges as the winner of Iran's election.

"The president's decision to engage Iran was not based on a particular electoral result. We are going to engage the Iranian government whether it is led by one faction or the other," a senior State Department official said.

State media declared Ahmadinejad the winner but challenger Mirhossein Mousavi alleged irregularities and claimed victory for himself after the hotly contested election.

Washington hoped that, whoever wins, the election will end the acerbic tone from Iran and reduce tension as major powers seek to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Experts said a second term by Ahmadinejad would make it tougher for Obama to change the tone but they also cautioned against excessive optimism if former prime minister Mousavi wins.

"This is going to be hard and complex, regardless of who is elected president. There are a lot of different factions and mixed views on the idea of engaging the Great Satan (as Iran has sometimes called Washington)," added the State Department official. He was speaking on condition of anonymity before the results were known.

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Ex-CIA analyst Bruce Riedel said Ahmadinejad's re-election could cripple U.S. efforts to improve relations. But he also said Mousavi's rule as prime minister in the 1980s had been a "scary time".