According to a report rom the Wall Street Journal, "'U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Iranian President Hasan Rouhani, and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem were among leaders and diplomats who huddled in hotel rooms, strategizing ways to address the Mideast's multiplying crises'', American and Arab officials said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bristled at Mr. Rouhani's speech, which was well received by many others in the room. The Israeli leader said nothing Mr. Rouhani said was backed up by actual changes in Iranian policy.
The Israeli and Iranian leaders interspersed their diplomatic efforts with pitches to energy and high-tech executives for investments in their countries.
The fixation on the Mideast in the midst of Switzerland's snow-capped peaks showed how far world leaders—and the U.S., in particular—still remain from turning the page on the region's crises, said American and European officials. Leaders argued that if more isn't done to stop the killing in Syria and to brace Egypt and Yemen, the West could find itself drawn in even further.
Mr. Kerry is scheduled to deliver an address Friday in Davos. He is also set to have a long meeting with Mr. Netanyahu.
Mr. Kerry also will seek to dispel "the myth of disengagement," the official said, "particularly the notion that the U.S. is pulling back from the Middle East."
Mr. Rouhani attracted great interest at the forum. He made his first appearance at Davos on a long, wide staircase leading to the main conference hall. Flanked by handlers and wearing a cream-colored robe and a turban, he descended the stairs as a hush fell over the lobby. Many attendees shot photos with their smartphones, as the entourage quickly swept into the auditorium.
Adressing the annual Conference,he portrayed himself as a pragmatic leader ready to open up Iran's economy and to practice a less confrontational foreign policy than his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Mr. Rouhani said he believed Iran's confrontation with the West over its nuclear program would quickly be resolved, paving the way for Tehran to re-engage with Europe and the West.
Earlier this week, Iran implemented an interim agreement with world powers that capped parts of its nuclear program in return for an easing of Western economic sanctions.
Mr. Rouhani said he expected this pact to be just the beginning of steps to improve ties with the international community, including Washington.
"What we have achieved is not merely a temporary agreement on a specific issue, but a prelude to future agreements and engagements," he told a packed amphitheater. "There are many common interests."
Mr. Rouhani has used his stay in Switzerland to continue a campaign aimed at U.S. audiences, to the chagrin of the Obama administration.
In a Thursday interview with CNN, he said Tehran wouldn't destroy any of its 20,000 centrifuges in pursuit of a comprehensive nuclear agreement with the West.
Some U.S. analysts say Iran would need to mothball 15,000 to ensure it doesn't have the ability to
break out and build nuclear weapons.
The Iranian president also tried to use Davos to break down the financial wall that has been erected around Iran over the nuclear dispute. He lauded his Thursday meeting with international energy giants and said Iran was ready for deeper investment and cooperation.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to engage in constructive cooperation in promoting global energy security," he said.
Speaking a few hours after Mr. Rouhani, Mr. Netanyahu was quick to cast doubt on the Iranian leader's outreach.
"We all wish there was a real change in Iran. We don't see that," Mr. Netanyahu said. He cited Iran's continued military backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and alleged pervasive human-rights abuses.
He also said Iran has maintained its capacity to develop nuclear weapons, despite the interim nuclear agreement.
Mr. Kerry was in many ways caught in the middle.
The U.S. diplomat, focused on ending Syria's civil war and Iran's nuclear threat, told journalists and diplomats that Mr. Rouhani's government could become a force for moderation in the Middle East.
He implored Iran in an interview with a Saudi television channel to end its support for the Lebanese militant and political group Hezbollah, which has sent thousands of fighters into Syria to back Mr. Assad's forces, U.S. officials say.
Still, Mr. Kerry is under growing pressure from Israel and Washington's Arab allies, particularly Saudi Arabia, to maintain pressure on Tehran should it not follow through on its nuclear commitments.
Mr. Kerry acknowledged that military strikes still could be needed to curtail Iran's nuclear program.
"If they broke out—if they decided they're going to throw this agreement away and go start enrichment again, sure, they can turn around," Mr. Kerry said in an interview with Al Arabiya television.
"But guess what? If they do that, then the military option that is available to the United States is ready and prepared to do what it would have to do."
