U.S. military wary of Iranian pledges on arms flow

By Paul Tait

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Wednesday Iran must prove over time it is committed to stemming the flow of weapons into Iraq, adding a note of caution after a warming in Washington's tone towards Tehran.

U.S. officials have softened their rhetoric towards Iran in recent weeks. The U.S. military freed nine Iranians held in Iraq.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said earlier this month he understood Iran had given Iraq behind-the-scenes assurances that the flow of weapons would stop.

"We are thankful for the commitment that Iran has made to reduce the flow of weapons and explosives coming into Iraq," Lieutenant-General James Dubik, head of U.S. military efforts to rebuild Iraq's security forces, said on Wednesday. He added it had made some contribution to cutting violence in Iraq.

But Dubik and U.S. military spokesman Major-General Kevin Bergner said it was impossible to tell exactly how much difference those commitments had made.

"It's important here that the commitments that have been made start to see real progress that's statistically significant, that's measurable and that is sustained over time," Bergner told a media conference.

Iranian and U.S. officials said on Tuesday they had agreed to hold a new round of talks on security in Iraq, the fourth this year between the bitter foes after a diplomatic freeze lasting almost 30 years, but no date has been set.

Bergner said he hoped the latest round of talks, following meetings in May, July and August, would focus on the commitment to stop weapons from entering Iraq. The talks will be limited to Iraqi security and will not include Iran's nuclear ambitions.