Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq

    TEHRAN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday that Tehran would hold meeting with the United States over the Iraq security issue in Baghdad on Monday, the state media reported.

    "Based on the agreement, the two sides would exchange ideas over details of a trilateral security committee on Monday," Iran's Ambassador to Iraq Hassan Kazemi Qomi, was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.

    "Iranian, Iraqi and U.S. representatives would join the conference to talk about composition and agenda of the security committee ... the discussion would be held at expert level," headded.

    But the report failed to mention which officials from the Iran side would attend the meeting.

    On July 24, U.S. and Iranian ambassadors to Iraq met in Baghdad and held the second round of talks over Iraq, during which the two sides decided to set up a joint subcommittee to "coordinate and lobby on the establishment of stability and security" there.

    The two ambassadors made their first round of talks on May 28 in Baghdad in an effort to find solutions for Iraqi security problems. However, their first meeting ended without substantial achievements.

    U.S. forces accuse Iran of arming and training Iraqi militias to fight with U.S. troops. Tehran denies the allegations and calls for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops to stabilize war-torn Iraq.

U.S.-Iran talks described as "difficult discussions"

    WASHINGTON, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The United States and Iran had "difficult discussions" during their second round of ambassador-level talks over the security situation in Iraq, U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said Tuesday. Full story

U.S. accuses Iran of stepping up support for Iraqi militias

    BAGHDAD, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker on Tuesday accused Iran of stepping up its support for Iraqi militias after the first round of U.S.-Iran talks in May. Full story