The United States is willing to talk to Iran as long as the
conversations are limited to Iraq, a spokeswoman for Vice President Dick
Cheney said Sunday. Cheney is visiting the region to try to encourage more support for the Iraqi government.

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"We are willing to have that conversation limited to Iraq issues at the
ambassador level," said Lea Anne McBride, a Cheney spokeswoman.

She said the willingness is not a new position, but reflects an earlier-stated U.S. position. She spoke after Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said that Tehran had agreed to a formal request from the U.S. to talk about security in Iraq during meetings in Baghdad, according to Iran's official news agency.

The report said Iran had received the request through the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, which often acts as an intermediary for the U.S. in the country.

McBride said she didn't have all the specifics. But she said Iran's comments appeared to be a reference to what the U.S. has called the Baghdad channel.

The official IRNA news agency first said that the talks would be next week but later reporting the date would become clear by Friday.

"With the aim of easing the pain of the Iraqi people, supporting the Iraqi government and strengthening security in Iraq ... Iran will talk with the American side in Baghdad," IRNA quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini as saying.

Hosseini's office confirmed his comments, but IRNA also quoted Hosseini as saying that "The place of talks is definitely Iraq. The exact date and level of the negotiating team will become clear by Friday."