White House/Pete Souza

Although the U.S. and Iran have no official diplomatic ties, the most powerful men in each country have apparently decided to cut out the middle men and women.

According to CBS News, President Obama has been writing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei about such topics as their shared enemy, the Islamic State, and Iran’s nuclear program.

The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council went on state television to say this isn’t the first time Iran has responded to letters from Obama, although he didn’t confirm it was the Supreme Leader, himself, who responded.

Relations between the two countries have improved since more moderate presidents — Obama in the U.S. and Hasan Rowhani in Iran — were elected to office.

But a big test of the so-called thaw looms, with a Nov. 24 deadline for nuclear negotiations about to land.

— Posted by Peter Z. Scheer