U.S., Iran officials to meet soon on Iraq security

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The next round of talks between U.S. and Iranian officials on Iraqi security will get under way in a few days, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Tuesday.

"We're putting all our efforts into organizing the next round of Iranian-American talks in Baghdad. We expect the next round of these talks will start literally in the next few days," Zebari told a news conference during a visit to Moscow.

He said a date had been set for the talks but did not disclose what it was.

U.S. and Iranian officials met several times last year in Baghdad to discuss security in Iraq in talks arranged by the Iraqi government.

The talks eased a diplomatic freeze between Iran and the United States that has lasted almost three decades, though the two countries are currently embroiled in a row over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Responding to Zebari's comments, a spokeswoman for the U.S. embassy in Iraq said: "We don't have an agreed upon date." She said Zebari would announce the date when it was confirmed.

Washington has accused Iran of supplying weapons and training to Shi'ite Muslim militias in Iraq, including bombs and missiles used to kill U.S. troops. Tehran denies the accusations.

(Additional reporting by Michael Holden in Baghdad)

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Sami Aboudi)