U.S. open to talks on Iraq, Iran says

TEHRAN, June 11 (UPI) -- A U.S. State Department official said diplomatic channels remain open with Tehran to discuss the security situation in Iraq, the Iranian state-run media said.

David Satterfield, the senior adviser on Iraq to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said this week that though no future meetings were on the agenda between Washington and Tehran, "this channel is one we have not closed and will not close," the Iranian English-language Press TV reported.

"But it is important that we know that such talks are likely to be productive and successful before they are scheduled," he said.

Satterfield urged Iran to continue to respect Iraqi sovereignty and not use Iraq as a proxy for regional disputes.

The United States accuses Iran of meddling in Iraqi affairs by arming and funding Shiite militias, a charge Tehran emphatically denies. Iraqi Prime Minster Nouri al-Maliki traveled to Iran during the weekend to challenge the issue and urge Iranian restraint while Iraq stabilizes.