TEHRAN, 5 December 2005 — Iran said yesterday that direct security talks with the United States were “not on our agenda,” dismissing reports that Washington could seek Tehran’s cooperation to quell unrest in Iraq.
“It is an issue for the Iraqi people. They are capable of building their own future,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters. A week ago, Newsweek magazine reported that President George W. Bush had asked US ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad to seek assistance from Iran.
“I’ve been authorized by the president to engage the Iranians,” Khalilzad was quoted as saying. “There will be meetings, and that’s also a departure and an adjustment.” But Iran’s top national security official Ali Larijani said he had received “no communication” from Washington concerning eventual talks and also ruled out any immediate contacts.
