U.S. willing to talk to Iran about Iraq

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U.S. willing to talk to Iran about Iraq
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The United States said Thursday it was prepared to talk with Iran about Iraq, but said any discussions must be restricted to that topic and not include other contentious subjects like Tehran's suspected nuclear weapons program.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, is authorized to talk with Iran about Iraq, much as the United States has talked with Iran about issues relating to Afghanistan, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said.

"But this is a very narrow mandate dealing specifically with issues relating to Iraq," McClellan said. U.S. concerns about Iran's nuclear program are being dealt with at the United Nations. "That's a separate issue from this," McClellan said.

The White House statement came after Ali Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator and secretary of the country's Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran was ready to open direct talks with the United States over Iraq, marking a major shift in Iranian foreign policy.