Report: Top U.S. official met with Ahmadinejad aide to discuss Iran nuclear program

Former U.S. Defense Secretary William J. Perry held a series of previously undisclosed meetings with a senior aide to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to a report published on Friday in The Washington Times.

The Washington Times quoted an unnamed source, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the topic, as saying the talks took place with Ahmadinejad adviser Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi.

The report added that the meetings were "discussions, not negotiations" about Iran's nuclear program that aimed to clarify the two sides' positions.

It was not clear from the report whether Mr. Perry was acting at the behest of the Bush administration or others.

The revelation about the meetings comes at a time when the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama tries to change the American approach to Iran.

The British newspaper The Guardian reported earlier this week that officials from the Obama administration have drafted a letter to Iran aimed at thawing diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The U.S. State Department has been working on drafts of the letter since Obama was elected on 4 November last year.

Diplomats told The Guardian that Obama's letter would be a gesture to mark a change in tone from that of the Bush administration, which portrayed Iran as part of an "axis of evil."

The United States has accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons and supporting militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran has said its nuclear program is meant only for peaceful purposes.