Iran shows signs of softening some of its suspicions of outside world

Peace between Iraq and Iran may not be ''around the corner,'' but analysts here say there are signs that Iran is coming out of its shell. They say it is taking a slightly more realistic, less suspicious attitude toward the world community.

* Last year Iran agreed to be a silent partner to the talks being conducted by proxy between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Geneva by Diego Cordovez, special representative of UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar. Although Iran does not participate in these talks, it allows itself to be -informed of developments and has raised no objections to initial steps intended to lead toward a comprehensive accord.

* This month Iran has asked Mr. Perez de Cuellar to send a mission to Iran to examine civilian areas damaged by its war with Iraq. The mission, led by Brig. Timothy Dibuama of Ghana, military adviser to the Secretary-General, was scheduled to leave this week and take about 10 days.

''Never since the beginning of the war has Iran asked the UN to get involved. This represents most definitely a change of attitude,'' says an Asian diplomat. In previous letters to the Secretary-General, Iran never mentioned the Security Council, which it considered to be biased against Iran. During the hostage crisis, Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini let it be known that he considered the UN to be ''an instrument in the hands of the great Satan'' (meaning the United States).

Now, Iran is using softer language. The Iranians are calling on the Security Council to ''question its indifference to the situation and its political support to the aggressor.'' Furthermore, when Mr. Perez de Cuellar informed Iran that he would have to send the requested mission to Iraq as well as Iran, Iran did not object. In the past Iran had described Iraq's calls to the UN as ''propaganda moves.''

Arab diplomats here privately express the hope that Iran may be beginning to soften its stance and that this first cautious step toward the UN may eventually lead to a peaceful settlement between Iran and Iraq. ''Iran has apparently decided to test the UN. If the report of the commission will seem fair and impartial to it, it may consider a second move, perhaps to bring its complaint back to the UN,'' says a source close to Iran.