Conservative Policies Won’t Change, Iranian President-Elect Khatami Indicates

President-elect Mohammad Khatami, downplaying differences between himself and Iran’s conservative Islamic leadership, indicated Tuesday that on such crucial issues as the Middle East peace process and relations with the United States, his country’s policies would remain relatively unchanged.

In his first comments to reporters since Friday’s landslide victory, the 54-year-old mullah, whose ascendancy is being monitored closely all around the world for signs of policy shifts, called Israel an “occupying power” and a “racist regime” and said the ongoing peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians “will not come to any satisfying conclusion.” As for the “dark relations” between America and Iran, he said, the United States created the problem and holds the key to solving it.

“We’re sorry their policies have always been hostile to our revolution,” he said. “But what we achieved with our revolution is independence, and we’re not willing to give that up. … Until the day that the United States stops seeking to deprive us of our independence and harm our national interest, there is no ground for relations between us.”

Khatami was swept from obscurity to victory Friday after a campaign in which he promised greater political openness and cultural tolerance. And Tuesday he promised to follow through on those promises, liberalizing the country within the bounds of Islamic law and public order and in consultation with Iran’s hard-line leaders.

In the aftermath of the election, Khatami finds himself in a delicate position. He is part of the establishment, a bearded mullah who came of age on the political philosophy of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. And he was elected, by 21 million of 29 million votes, as part of a movement for change.