In exchange, Obama sends badminton team to Iran

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is sending a women's badminton team to Iran this week as part of a broad bid to engage the Iranian people through educational and cultural exchanges, the State Department said Monday.

Amid a wide-ranging review of U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic, the trip is the new administration's first foray into such exchanges that began while President Bush was in the White House. Past exchanges have involved athletes from other sports, artists, academics and professionals.

The 12-member team — eight female players and four coaches and managers representing USA Badminton — will be in Tehran from today until Monday to participate in the Iran Fajr International Badminton Tournament, which begins Friday, the State Department said in a statement.

It said the U.S. squad was invited by the Iranian Badminton Federation and they hoped to extend an invitation to Iran's national team to come to the United States in July. This week's trip is being sponsored by the State Department, which since 2006 has promoted people-to-people exchanges with Iran.

More than 250 Iranians, including artists, athletes and medical professionals, have participated in exchange programs in the United States, the department said.

Previous sports exchanges, which started in January 2007, have included wrestlers and weightlifters as well as basketball, table tennis and water polo players. Since then, the department has sent 32 American athletes to Iran and brought 75 Iranian athletes and coaches to the United States, it said.

The badminton trip is the first under the Obama administration, which is considering new approaches to Iran. Those include direct dialogue and the appointment of a special envoy to deal with Iran, which has not had diplomatic relations with the U.S. since 1979.