Iran will help US to leave Iraq

Iran will only hold direct talks with the United States on Iraq if Washington announces plans to pull its troops out, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said.

Mottaki was responding to this week's US Iraq Study Group report, which recommended Washington should directly engage with Iran and Syria to try to stabilise Iraq.

Mottaki said: 'Iran is ready to help the administration to withdraw its troops from Iraq.' He added that his country did not 'see such political will yet in the United States'.

US President George W. Bush has said he will not talk to Iran unless it suspends its nuclear programme.

Washington has also said it will keeps its troops in Iraq as long as the Iraqi government wants.