U.S. and Iran to hold talks on Iraq

PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States and Iran are to hold ambassador-level talks in Baghdad on the deteriorating security situation in Iraq July 24.



The two sides will sit down together tomorrow, according to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and U.S. Embassy spokesman Philip Reeker, amid U.S. allegations that Tehran is supporting violent Shiite militias in the country.



Zebari said the discussions would be at ambassador level and would focus on the situation in Iraq, not U.S.-Iran tensions.



Iraq stands for holding the second round of talks and hopes the meeting will produce effect.



U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and Iran's Hassan Kazimi Qomi will hold tete-a-tete talks, Iran.ru reports.



Little progress emerged from the first round of talks in May between the ambassadors on May 28, 2007.



The U.S. broke off relations with Iran in 1980 when Islamic revolutionaries seized the US embassy in Tehran and held diplomats hostage.



Tuesday's meeting will be hosted by the Iraqi government, whose Shia Muslim leaders have close links with Iran.



The U.S. urges Iran to stop interfering in Iraq's domestic affairs while Tehran demands stepwise withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.