The news that US president Barack Obama sent a letter to the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khakemei has met been met with approval by the high political echelon in Iran, an Iranian official told Asharq Al-Awsat. The Iranian official, who remained anonymous, told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The paradigm of Iran's nuclear program is shifting towards strategic necessities for both Iran and the US in the face of current regional crises.” President Obama sent a secret letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last month stressing the two countries' shared interest in fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, a media report on Thursday said. According to the Wall Street Journal, the letter in mid-October said cooperation between the United States and Iran on combating the militant group was tied to a deal being reached between Iran and other nations on its nuclear program.