Unofficial translation of the first direct public communication sent by anIranian president to an American president since ties between the nations weresevered after the American Embassy in Tehran was seized in 1979. While anIranian government spokesman claimed that "Ahmadinejad, in his letter,spoke of the current tense situation in the world and suggested ways of solvingproblems and of easing tensions", American Secretary of State CondoleezaRice countered: "This letter isn't it. This letter is not the place thatone would find an opening to engage on the nuclear issue or anything of thesort. ,It isn't addressing the issues that we're dealing with in a concreteway."