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Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham on Tuesday confirmed that the presidents of Iran and the United States have exchanged letters recently.
"U.S. President Barack Obama congratulated Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on his election," said Afkham, adding that "in response, Rouhani thanked (the U.S. president) and expressed his views about diverse of issues."
Afkham said "the mechanism for exchanging such letters is through existing diplomatic channels" and "this exchange of letters" has been carried out via those channels.
The United States broke diplomatic relations with Iran on April 7, 1980, after a group of Iranian students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and captured some 60 U.S. diplomats in 1979. Among the diplomats, 52 were held captive for 444 days in the hostage crisis.
The Islamic republic is also under heavy sanction pressures by the United States and its allies, mainly, over its insistence on pursuing controversial nuclear program.
During his presidential campaign, Rouhani pledged to solve Iran 's nuclear issue which he said would result in easing sanctions on Iran's economy.
Rouhani has vowed to enter "constructive interactions" and " serious talks" with the West to help settle the existing problems about the country's nuclear program. However, he said his administration will not slacken over the nuclear rights of the country which West suspects to have military dimension but the Islamic republic insists on its "civilian nature."
