Obama's Nauroze Breakthrough

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton confirmed that Mr. Holbrooke, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, met with Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Mohammad Mehdi Akhondzadeh, on the sidelines of a conference devoted to Afghanistan.

“It was cordial, unplanned, and they agreed to stay in touch,” Mrs. Clinton said to reporters at the end of the conference. “I myself did not have any direct contact with the Iranian delegation.”