US diplomats seeking to meet Iranian diplomats in Iraq

The Iraq-based American diplomats have repeatedly tried to contact or meet with their Iranian counterparts in Baghdad during the past 60 days but they have received no response from the Iranian side, the official IRNA news agency reported Sept. 17.

The US diplomats are seeking to negotiate with Iran's Ambassador to Baghdad Hassan Danaeifar on certain cases in Iraq that the Iranian officials believe are internal affairs of their western neighboring state, according to the report.

So far the Americans have made their demands through different channels.

'As far as I know, American officials asked for mediation of a number of prominent Iraqi figures to this end,' a source in an Iraqi political party said on the condition of anonymity.

'Iran's diplomatic initiative in Iraq and the region, its popularity among the Iraqi political parties and tribes as well as Tehran's complete awareness towards diplomatic situation of the region are main reasons' behind the requests' of the American diplomats to communicate with their Iranian counterparts in Iraq, the source added.

The source reiterated that the Western diplomats have acknowledged that Iran is the most active diplomatic representation in Iraq.

/By Trend/