Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq

    TEHRAN, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah AliKhamenei on Tuesday urged U.S.-led foreign troops to leave Iraq as the first step toward restoring security in the violence-torn country, state television reported.

    In his meeting with visiting Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Khamenei said that continued insecurity in Iraq would harm all regional states.

    The first step in solving Iraq's security issue would be for the occupiers to leave the country and then let the Iraqi government that has the support of the people to tackle the problems, the Iranian leader said.

    "The main reason for the current situation in Iraq is America's policies," Khamenei was quoted as telling Talabani, who arrived in Tehran Monday on a visit to Iran to seek aid from his massive Shiite neighbor in stemming bloodshed that has been wracking his war-torn country.

    The Iranian leader said that some U.S. agents in the region were the mediators implementing these policies in Iraq and responsible for the resulting insecurity.

    "Strengthening terrorist groups in Iraq and inflaming insecurity and genocide in the country will be quite risky for the U.S. agents and the region," he said.

    Khamenei also pledged that Iran would do its best to help Iraq establish stability and security.

    "Iran will spare no efforts to promote stability and security in Iraq, if Iraqi officials call for such help," he said.

According to the report of the official IRNA news agency, Talabani at the meeting expressed his satisfaction with his visit to Iran and said that broadening bilateral relations would be beneficial to both sides.

    The Iraqi president said that "those who are seriously worried about a democratic and modern Iraq with a popular government are responsible for the insecurity and genocide of people in the country."

    Talabani said that the Iraqi government has no control over the country's security, adding "If the government is charged with the country's security, full security can be established all over Iraq by mobilizing people," Talabani was quoted as saying.

In a meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday evening, Talabani called for Iran's "comprehensive" help to stem escalating violence in war-torn Iraq.

Ahmadinejad pledged to support Talabani's request, saying "we will help our Iraqi brothers with all we can to implement and reinforce security in Iraq."