Mr. Ahmadinejad has, after all, boldly gone where no Iranian president has ventured before. His harsh rhetoric belies his willingness to reach out to those with differing views. In 2006, he wrote his famous 18-page letter to President George W. Bush discussing religious values, history and international relations. He was the first Iranian head of state to visit the United Arab Emirates, a country that has a longstanding conflict with Iran over the ownership of some small but strategically important islands. He was also the first Iranian president to participate in the summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council — an organization that is frowned upon by Iranians for its use of “Arabian Gulf” instead of “Persian Gulf.”

He has signaled his interest in resuming full diplomatic relations with Egypt, to the dismay of hard-liners. (Iran severed diplomatic ties with Egypt three decades ago.) In the past, Mr. Ahmadinejad has indicated his willingness to open an embassy in Cairo. Last year, he telephoned President Hosni Mubarak to discuss regional issues.

But Mr. Ahmadinejad’s boldest moves have been toward the United States.