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Iran ready for talks with U.S.

TEHRAN: An spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Tehran would be ready to consider holding talks with the United States over regional issues, including Iraq.

``If we receive any official request about talks on regional issues, we are ready to study it,'' Mohammad-Ali Hosseini told a weekly press briefing.

However, Mr. Hosseini said Iran was not changing its stance regarding bilateral relations with the U.S. — an apparent indication that Iran would refuse to talk with the U.S. about issues including its controversial nuclear programme.

He said that some U.S. and Iraqi officials had raised the possibility of a dialogue.

The United States said in May that it wanted to hold direct talks with Iran about Iraq. Iran at that time said it had accepted it in principle, but later changed its mind, accusing Washington of using it as propaganda. — Xinhua

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