Historic meeting with Iran found 'broad agreement' on Iraq

May 28, 2007

Baghdad, Iraq - In the first diplomatic meetings between the United States and Iran in 27 years, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said they were "business-like" and found "broad agreement" in the two nations' goals for Iraq.

Iran offered a similar impression. Ambassador Hassan Kazemi Qomi, who led the delegation, said the two sides "agreed upon mutual stance to support the elected Iraqi government concerning the national unity, national territories and authorize the full sovereignty to the Iraqi government," according to an Associated Press translation.

Speaking after the trilateral meeting with Iraqi diplomats, which he said lasted four hours, Crocker told reporters that in terms of policy for Iraq "there isn't much to argue about." But he said Iran needs to bring its actions in line with its "declaratory policy."

"I laid out before the Iranians a number of our direct specific concerns about their behavior in Iraq: their support for militias that are fighting both the Iraqi security forces and coalition forces; the fact that a lot of the explosives and ammunition that are used by these groups are coming in from Iran and that such activities led by the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) Quds force needed to cease, and that we would be looking for results."

Crocker said the Iranian representatives "did not respond directly to that," but emphasized that they support the Iraqi government.