Iran, U.S., to meet on Iraq

May 17,2007 00:00 by UPI

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- U.S., Iranian and Iraqi officials have agreed to meet in Baghdad to talk about Iraq, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Thursday in Pakistan.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said representatives of the three countries will meet May 28, CNN reported.

Earlier, White House spokesman Tony Snow said the talks don't represent a normalization of relations between Iran and the United States, which cut diplomatic ties with Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis.

"It is not unusual to have conversations of this sort," Snow said.
Iran has denied U.S. accusations that it is helping Iraqi insurgents with weapons and training.

"Following consultations between Iranian and Iraqi officials, Tehran has agreed to hold negotiations with Washington to relieve pains and suffering of the Iraqi people, support and strengthen the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and stabilize security and peace in that country," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said in a statement on Iran's state-run media.