ElBaradei: Bush's policies towards Iran was ‘a total failure’
IAEA chief urges Obama to open unconditional ‘direct dialogue’ with Iran

DAVOS, Switzerland (Agencies) - The UN nuclear watchdog chief urged the Obama administration on Thursday to open ""direct dialogue at a high level"" with Iran with “no preconditions” on its nuclear program.

Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, called George W. Bush's policies towards Iran ""a total failure"".

In an interview published in the Wall Street Journal, ElBaradei said the U.S. should then negotiate a ""freeze for freeze"" agreement, in which Iran would halt expansion of its nuclear program while the U.S. and other nations would stop expansion of UN Security Council sanctions on Iran.

The Obama administration has pledged to engage Iran's leaders directly.

ElBaradei said these initial steps would be possible within six months. The IAEA director added any agreement would have to address Iran's security concerns and its desire to be accepted as a regional player.

ElBaradei also told a CNN-hosted panel at the World Economic Forum that he had had ""zero confidence"" in previous efforts to isolate Tehran.

""Any time you try to isolate a country, the situation gets much much worse... Whether you like or dislike your enemy, you have to talk to them,"" he said

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