Iran said today it had not decided whether to talk to the United States about security problems in Iraq.
But Tehran said it would review any request by the US administration, which is under pressure to deal directly with Iran to ease problems in Iraq.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki speaks at a joint news conference with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Al-Zahar in Tehran today. Photograph: Reuters/Raheb Homavandi
Washington is leading efforts to press for United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear work, but at the same time it is reviewing its policy in Iraq amid expectations the administration will be advised to engage with Iran and Syria.
Iran has said it would consider any official request for talks with the United States. Washington and Tehran have not had diplomatic ties since Iranian students stormed the US embassy in Iran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.
The two sides have come close to holding direct, formal talks before and looked to have agreed in March to talks on Iraq, but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in April there was no need for such a dialogue.
Asked if any decision had been made on negotiations with the United States, Iran's Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, said: "Iran has not made any new decision in that regard.
"Reviewing is different from giving a positive answer. We review any proposal in various fields of foreign relations in the foreign ministry, but it does not necessarily mean issuing a positive response."
US ally British Prime Minister Tony Blair is among those promoting US engagement with Syria and Iran over Iraq, an idea under discussion by the Iraq Study Group - commissioned by President Bush to review policy in Iraq.