Will Obama and Rouhani Meet Face-to-Face at the United Nations?

The big question for this week’s meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York is whether President Obama will finally meet with newly elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, as a symbol of the new openness for diplomacy between the two nations.

It’s a familiar ritual that’s played out for years: When the Iranian president addresses the U.N., diplomats from the United States, Israel and other nations walk out. But this year is expected to be different -- Rouhani has made clear that he wants a dialogue with the West, if only to try to put an end to sanctions that have disrupted the Iranian economy, a platform that helped get him elected to office.

White House officials say there is no meeting planned during Tuesday’s meeting, though they wouldn’t rule it out either.

“The president has demonstrated a willingness to engage with the Iranians, and has done that for some time now.  You're aware of the fact that we have engaged with the Iranians through the P5-plus-1 process.  There have been some other contacts that have emerged in the news, including an exchange of letters between the American President and the Iranian President.  So this is an indication that there are some ongoing conversations,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Friday.

Rouhani has reached out as well, including publishing an op-ed in The Washington Post that called for a new era in U.S.-Iranian diplomacy. “As I depart for New York for the opening of the U.N. General Assembly, I urge my counterparts to seize the opportunity presented by Iran’s recent election. I urge them to make the most of the mandate for prudent engagement that my people have given me and to respond genuinely to my government’s efforts to engage in constructive dialogue.”

“The world has changed,” Rouhani wrote. “International politics is no longer a zero-sum game but a multi-dimensional arena where cooperation and competition often occur simultaneously. Gone is the age of blood feuds. World leaders are expected to lead in turning threats into opportunities.”

Syria is an area where the two longstanding enemies could find some common ground. Iran has condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria and Rouhani said in his op-ed that Iran is ready “to help facilitate dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition.”

The Obama administration said it welcomes the new tone from Rouhani, but is standing by the sanctions until Iran “demonstrate[s] in no uncertain terms to the international community that their nuclear program is for exclusively peaceful means,” Earnest said, adding that the tough sanctions “is what has brought the Iranians to the table.”

“What we would like to see from the Iranians beyond just some of the encouraging words that we've heard from them in the last few days are some demonstrable actions that demonstrate the seriousness of purpose as they pursue conversations about coming into compliance with international standards,” Earnest said.

Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said the U.S. delegation is “certainly open to bilateral discussions” during this week’s meeting. And while Rouhani’s overtures have signaled a new opportunity to improve U.S.-Iranian relations after decades of threats and sanctions, Rhodes said Obama isn’t in any rush to kiss and make up. “We do believe that there's time and space to pursue diplomacy,” Rhodes said.