John Kerry.

The U.S. has renewed efforts to open a dialogue with Iran vis-a-vis its nuclear program. According to a report in the Israeli daily Maariv, newly minted Secretary of State John Kerry has been trying to set up a meeting with his Iranian counterpart,  Al Akbar Salehi.

Western sources told Maariv the pupose of the talks are to initiate direct dialogue while also joining in on talks with the P5 + 1—the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

The report comes after former Iraqi Parliamentarian Mithal al Alusi told The Algemeiner that U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to meet soon with Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“There is a plan for President Obama to visit Tehran,” Alusi said. “The new thing will be, ‘Iran will be contained'” or that the [Iranian] regime and Obama will shake hands” after Iran’s leaders promise to halt their efforts to obtain nuclear weapons, Alusi said.

Monday former Israel Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin told journalists that he believes Iran has the capability to build a bomb within the next four to six months.

“Iran has completed in the last two years two components that… give it all of the necessary means to manufacture a nuclear weapon as soon as it chooses to do so,” Yadlin was quoted as saying.