In making his argument for why Iran and the West would do better not to quarrel, Mr. Ahmadinejad said, "the Iranian nation is becoming more powerful, stronger, and more steadfast by the day, while you are becoming ever weaker and more isolated."

Fairly conciliatory statements have been issuing more and more often recently from the mouths of the Iranian leadership. Mr. Ahmadinejad celebrated the first anniversary of his election as president not long ago, and during that first year he built a reputation as a hardheaded radical with whom it was almost impossible to negotiate and who was incapable of making any kind of concession. However, as the first year of his presidency drew to a close, the Iranian leader suddenly began to attempt to burnish his image. For starters, Mr. Ahmadinejad stepped forward like some kind of dove of peace in response to the scandal that flared up around the contradictory statements made by Pope Benedict XVI concerning the Prophet Muhammad. In that moment, when the majority of the leaders of the Muslim world was demanding immediate apologies from the pontiff, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that he considered the conflict settled: he was satisfied with the Pope's statement that he "regrets his words."

Then Iran reacted in a carefully thought-out manner to North Korea's nuclear test. Teheran stated that it does not consider nuclear weapons acceptable, that it is not seeking to develop them, and that Iran dreams of a world free of nuclear weapons.

Such behavior appears to be the new distinguishing feature of Iranian politics. After carrying out a year of "shock therapy," Mr. Ahmadinejad has decided to alter his means of engagement with the West by offering Iran's cooperation in exchange for concessions. Judging by recent comments from Iranian politicians, Teheran intends to concentrate its energies on normalizing relations with both its most consistent defenders and its most sworn enemies. Since all of its possible talks with the EU, in the person of senior foreign affairs representative Javier Solana, have failed, and given that China has recently shown little interest in the Iranian question, preferring instead to bide its time, Teheran is planning to focus its attention on working with Russia and the United States. According to information obtained by Kommersant, this was the topic being discussed during recent talks between Russia and Iran during Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov's visit to Iran.

As Iranian Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani told his Russian counterpart, Teheran is prepared to offer Moscow a new form of partnership that will turn Russia into a key player in the Near East. Specifically, using its ties in the Muslim world, Teheran has promised to install Moscow in the role of intermediary in all important negotiations in the region, such as those in Lebanon and Palestine. What is more, Mr. Larijani promised Mr. Ivanov economic benefits as well. For example, according to Teheran's plans, Russian and Iranian companies could start actively establishing themselves in Iraq's oil fields, thanks to the fact that America's control in the country is weakening as Iran's influence increases. Russian firms could also begin to revitalize oil terminals in southern Iraq, while Iran, through its contacts with local Shiite groups, would guarantee the safety of the Russian specialists working at these installations.

Finally, according to Mr. Larijani, Teheran is prepared to facilitate the resolution of less ambitious but more vital problems for Russia. First, using its own channels, the Iranian authorities could help Russian special forces track down the killers of several Russian diplomats in Iraq. Secondly, Teheran is offering to negotiate with Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah for a guarantee of the safety of a Russian engineering battalion that was recently deployed to Lebanon.

Understanding that the question does not lie only in Moscow's hands, Iran is also beginning to take tentative steps in its relations with the United States. According to information from Kommersant's sources, Ali Larijani informed Igor Ivanov of a package deal that Teheran intends to offer to Washington. The key issue in the scheme thought up by Iran is the stabilization of the situation in the whole of the Near East. Washington has long believed that it is precisely the Iranian regime that is the destabilizing factor in the region, since Teheran is believed to support all of the region's anti-American forces. Iran's offer is built around Teheran's readiness to cease this practice. In addition Iran, which basically controls Iraq's Shiites, is prepared to do everything necessary to calm the situation in the country and to concern itself with the safety of American troops. Finally, the authorities in Teheran are promising to use their influence over Hezbollah and Hamas, which are closely affiliated with the Shiite Iranian regime, to achieve general stabilization throughout the region.

The payment that Iran is demanding in exchange for such work is an agreement from the West that it can continue with the development of its nuclear program and uranium enrichment. During negotiations with the EU's Javier Solana, Mr. Larijani attempted to show that the current process of enrichment in Iran cannot be considered production - two cascades of a centrifuge, claims Teheran, are the only objectives of its scientific research. According to Mr. Larijani, Iran is prepared to renounce the possibility of industrial uranium enrichment, on the condition that the country is allowed to keep all of the technology that it currently possesses. Teheran considers this offer to be a colossal concession.

It is difficult to judge how the United States will react to Iran's new ideas. Most likely, Washington will not be overly enthusiastic, since if the plan is realized, Washington will end up being held hostage by Iran. If the US does accept Iran's help, it will then be wholly dependent on Iran - and in that case, Teheran will become the virtual master of the Near East. And for that Iran will not even need to develop its own nuclear weapons.

Late last night representatives of the foreign ministries of the "group of six" countries (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany) were scheduled to have a teleconference to determine the date for the upcoming discussion of the Iranian question in the Security Council. However, it is possible that the discussion of the Iranian question in the UN, which the members of the Security Council had apparently finally agreed upon at the end of September, is now in doubt. Iran's offer may turn out to be extremely tempting for the Russian diplomat.

"Yet, that stage came to its end following Iran's presidential campaign last year because we found out that they intended to close down Iran's activities in all different fields of technology under the pretext of the nuclear issue," Ahmadinejad continued.

He further described resumption of the country's nuclear activities as a second important stage in the nuclear case, adding, "At this stage, we decided to insist on our rights through insightful and in-depth plans and policies and we took several steps ahead at this phase."

The chief executive official termed resumption of activities at Isfahan UCF plant and Natanz Enrichment facility as two crucially important constituents of the second stage, reminding, "When we started low (3 to 5 percent) enrichment at Natanz facility, big powers started threatening us, but the Iranian nation stood up and finally joined the very limited number of the countries which own full nuclear fuel production cycle.

He also noted Iran's full preparedness to attend talks with the west, and stated, "It is now five months that we were engaged in negotiations, but they still insist on the suspension of uranium enrichment activities as a prerequisite to talks."

Ahmadinejad further asked the western states if possession of the nuclear fuel production cycle is considered as a threat, then how is it that only Iran should suspend its nuclear fuel production cycle, and questioned, "Are your nuclear fuel production cycles not dangerous?"

The President described Iran as the only country whose nuclear activities are in full compliance with the international rules and regulations, and went on to say, "Iran declared its readiness to attend talks in response to the proposal they had offered to Tehran, but they make varying decisions on a daily basis."

"After 27 years that you moved heaven and earth to blockade Iran's progress, hasn't the time arrived for starting cordial relations with Iran," he asked the western countries.

Ahmadinejad criticized the heads of states and other officials of the bullying powers for the increasing world problems and described them as isolated leaders who do not represent even their own populations.

He said even if the British Premier and the US President ever dare to go among the public, they won't be received by the people at all.

The chairman of the Supreme National Security Council said that a majority of the world nations and governments, including the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the D-8 and Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) member states, are earnest supporters of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its nuclear rights.

"Enemies are completely paralyzed and can in no way confront the Iranian nation, and if our people safeguard their unity and solidarity, they should await a giant victory as there is just one more step ahead before reaching the tops of the nuclear technology," President Ahmadinejad underlined.