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Iraq: U.S. for talks with Iran

Atul Aneja

New regime in Baghdad presents opportunity for dialogue

DUBAI: The United States has signalled that it was interested in starting direct talks with Iran on the situation in Iraq.

The U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad told the Associated Press in an interview that the formation of a new Government in Baghdad presented an opportunity to start a dialogue between Washington and Teheran. The U.S. envoy stressed that it would not have been possible to hold talks earlier as that would have undermined the credibility of the new Government. He pointed out that Washington did not want to give the impression that Iran and the United States "got together to decide the Government in Iraq." Iraq's new Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Nour Al Maliki was sworn in on May 20. Mr. Khalilzad said "we have said publicly, and that remains our position, we'd be prepared to consider talking with them (Iran) once the government of national unity is formed."

Iran, on its part, has also been saying that it would like to open direct talks with the United States. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently wrote a letter to U.S. President George W. Bush seeking a shift in American foreign policy in line with his religious beliefs. The U.S., however, has been insisting that it would be ready for dialogue provided discussion revolved around the situation in Iraq alone.

Despite the overtures for talks on Iraq, there is, nevertheless, a possibility that Iran might be confronting economic sanctions soon.

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