There is a real possibility that the U.S. may open an interest section in Tehran by the term end of U.S. President George W. Bush in January 2009.

""Right now, I would say for the remainder of the Bush administration until next January, there is a real window of opportunity in which they can take a number of steps. For instance, if they did open an interest section in Iran,"" ex-U.S. national security advisor Gary Sick told IRNA in Berlin in an exclusive phone interview.
Sick added, ""I think it's realistic for instance to open an interest section. And that has implications for everything else. We are going to be actually physically present in Tehran. That changes a lot. Setting up an interest section in Iran would be a key turning point.""
The head of the Persian Gulf Project 2000 at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs stressed that no new president coming in to Washington would want to undo the opening of U.S. interest section in Tehran.
""If that process gets started in the next four months, it would be extremely difficult for any (U.S.) president to reject it. Obama would probably consider this a good thing even if Senator McCain does not like it. It's very hard for me to believe that he would come as president and say we're going to remove our people (diplomats) from Tehran,"" Sick said.
He made it clear there had been some 'very strong indicators that the Bush administration was in fact interested in making progress' in its rapprochement with Iran.
""With the (Bush) administration that has very conservative credentials and which is getting ready to leave office, they can in fact do things with a certain degree of credibility that another or new president with another background could not,"" Sick said.
As for obstacles mitigating against initiating direct U.S.-Iranian talks, Sick pointed to the problems of domestic politics on both sides. ""There is a political obstacle that has to be overcome (and now) actually happens to be a very good moment to do that,"" he said.
""Leaders (in both countries) have to be very careful about what they do. My own reading is that both sides are much more nervous than they need to be. The people in Iran and the U.S. are really ready for this to happen but it will take a certain degree of leadership and boldness,"" Sick added.
The former US Embassy in Tehran, Iran ""If explained properly by the leaders in the U.S. and Iran, it would not be a political liability,"" emphasized the U.S. expert on Iran and the Persian Gulf region.
""I think the whole process is about building an agenda and setting up the process in which we would begin serious negotiations which would at least clarify where we are and what could be done .We don't know the answer to the question until we have stated it,"" Sick said.
""When you begin the process and yes the process can break down, but it is very hard to go back where you were before. To me, we are very close to something and it may not happen. I am not predicting this. But it is a real possibility and if it does happen that will be extremely important,"" the scholar noted.
(Source: Press TV)