Iran has decided not to take up an offer from Washington of direct talks over the future of Iraq for the time being, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on a visit to Baghdad on Friday.

Iraq Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari (R) and his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki hold a joint news conference in Baghdad, May 26, 2006. [Reuters]

Iran's initial acceptance of talks had been exploited for propaganda by the United States, and Tehran had therefore decided to suspend its decision to take part, he said.

"We have decided to have direct talks on the issue of Iraq with Americans," Mottaki said at a joint news conference with his Iraqi counterpart, Hoshiyar Zebari.

"Unfortunately, the American side tried to use this decision as propaganda and they raised some other issues. They tried to create a negative atmosphere and that's why the decision which was taken for the time being is suspended," he added.

Mottaki, whose visit turned attention on Shi'ite Iran's role in its U.S.-occupied neighbor hours after President George W. Bush admitted mistakes in his Iraq policy, also said Tehran would host a regional meeting on Iraq but did not specify when.

He later met Iraq's new prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, less than a week after the Shi'ite Islamist formed his national unity government and pledged to curb the kind of violence that saw a bomb kill nine people in Baghdad on Friday.

Washington has said it is open to talks about stabilizing the country with Iran, with which the United States has no diplomatic relations.

U.S. officials say they want Iraq to have good relations with Iran but reject any attempt to create a Shi'ite Islamic state in Iraq.

In April, Washington said talks with Iran were on hold as Iraq's government was being formed. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also said last month there was no need for such talks for the time being.

Page:

1

2