Iran to hold further talks with US over Iraq on Monday

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran will hold a third round of talks with United States officials on Monday to discuss the security situation in Iraq, Tehran's ambassador in Baghdad told the state IRNA news agency.

"According to an agreement the two sides will discuss the details of a tripartite security committee on Monday," Hassan Kazemi Qomi said, without specifying who would represent Iran in the talks.

"Iranian, Iraqi and US representatives are expected to hold expert
talks on the arrangement and the agenda of the security committee" he said.

On July 24 the delegations of Iran and the United States, led by Kazemi Qomi and US ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker respectively, were unable to agree during a landmark second meeting on ways to restore security to Iraq.

But Iraq said the two arch-foes did agree to participate in a tripartite security committee aimed at curbing militia activity, battling Al-Qaeda and securing border areas, but without reference to extremist Shiite militias that Washington says are backed by Tehran.

The US military in Iraq regularly accuses groups linked to Iran of training extremists in the war-ravaged country and supplying them with explosives capable of penetrating American armoured vehicles.

Iran denies supporting insurgent groups in Iraq.

US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack on July 25 confirmed that Washington was examining the idea of establishing a subcommittee "which would actually be lower level, technically oriented officials."