Iran and US talk

IRAN said yesterday an international conference in Baghdad, where it held direct talks with the US for the first time in four years, was a constructive “first step” toward restoring stability to the neighbouring country.

Mohammad Ali Hosseini, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, also said his country hoped a proposed follow-up meeting on Iraq would be successful.

Despite Hosseini’s optimistic words, on Saturday the US and Iranian envoys traded accusations blaming each other for Iraq’s violence.

At one point, US envoy David Satterfield pointed to his briefcase which he said contained documents proving Iran was arming Shi’ite Muslim militias in Iraq.