US and Iran play down reports on bilateral talks

Baghdad: US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said no decision had been made on holding bilateral
talks with Iran on the sidelines of a regional meeting this week in Baghdad, and any talks would focus on arms smuggling.

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Khalilzad said the aim of the March 10 meeting of regional countries and world powers
was to get Iraq's neighbours to contribute to stabilising the country. He said it was not clear who would attend from Iran.

"We have not decided at this point with regard to anything bilateral (with Iran) but we will be prepared to play our role
as constructively as possible," Khalilzad said.

"There have been some recent indications that they are interested in a dialogue with regard to Iraq."

Meanwhile, an Iranian official said on Sunday that Tehran will not necessarily have direct
talks with the United States if it attends an upcoming regional conference about Iraq's security crisis, .

Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Iranwill announce "in the near future" whether it will attend
the March 10 conference in Baghdad. Syria, the United States, Britain and France have said they will participate.

Hosseini claimed the U.S. has proposed holding direct discussions with Iran over Iraq. Iranian officials have
made those claims in the past, but US officials have not confirmed proposing any talks.

The United States has no diplomatic relations with Iran and is involved in a war of words to stop Tehran's nuclear programme which Iran says is aimed solely at producing electricity.