Obama Addresses UN As Rumors of Handshake Whirl in Diplomatic Circles

By Alex Ellefson with Samantha Grillo & Lauren Keating

President Barack Obama focused on the Middle East in a speech to the United Nations on Tuesday, while rumors circulated that he might meet with Iran’s newly elected President Hassan Rouhani, who also spoke to the General Assembly later in the day and who had sent signals that he wanted to end his nation’s international isolation.

If the world leaders crossed paths, it would be the first time an American president met an Iranian leader since Jimmy Carter spent New Year’s Eve with the Shah of Iran in 1977.

In the speech before hundreds of diplomats gathered in New York for the General Assembly , Obama said Rouhani’s election indicated that Iran was moving toward a “more moderate course.” The president said he had instructed Secretary of State John Kerry to pursue negotiations with Iran.

“The roadblocks may prove to be too great but I firmly believe the diplomatic path must be tested,” Obama said.

Kerry was scheduled to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif on Thursday, along with representatives from five other countries.

Despite the diplomatic efforts, Obama warned that “conciliatory words will have to be matched by actions that are transparent and verifiable.”

The two leaders exchanged diplomatic letters last week, roshe run hyp qs which marked the first time Obama had written to an Iranian president. If the two leaders meet face-to-face, in what was expected to be a brief handshake, it could further signal both countries willingness to open a dialogue.

Meanwhile, politicians opposed to any meeting between Obama and the Iranian leader held a rally nearby, where they accused the Iranian leadership of engaging in “mafia executions”.

“Do you know an agenda of negotiations is called?” former mayor Rudy Giuliani asked the crowd while warning that diplomatic efforts would lead to a nuclear-armed Iran. “It’s called appeasement.”

This would not be the first time Obama has drawn criticism for a handshake. He drew fire from Republicans in 2009 for shaking hands with then-Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, a vocal critic of United States.

Activist groups gathered outside the U.N.  since the early morning to protest Iran’s nuclear program.

While some of the demonstrators supported negotiations, others said Rouhani’s outreach to the West did not signal a genuine intention by Iran to dismantle its nuclear program.

“It sends the wrong signal to meet with Rouhani today,” said Stephan Grigat of an group called Stop the Bomb.“Rouhani is putting on a friendly face but it’s simply not true.”

America’s allies in the region were watching Obama’s behavior closely. If he shakes hands with the Iranian leader, it would alarm countries like Israel and Saudi Arabia, who worry about Iran’s nuclear program and its support of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.