TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday technical reasons were behind the delay in talks between Iranian and U.S. officials on Iraq and denied new U.S. charges that Tehran was stoking violence in its neighbour.
Tehran on Thursday postponed what would have been a fourthround of talks. The move has prompted Washington to questionTehran's commitment to dialogue.
Washington accuses Iran of destabilising Iraq. Tehranblames the U.S. occupation for the unrest. David Satterfield,the U.S. State Department's Iraq coordinator, said on FridayIran was "intent on continuing to promote violence withinIraq".
The U.S.-Iranian security talks are one of the few forumsin which officials from the two bitter foes have directcontact. Diplomatic ties between Washington and Tehran havebeen frozen for almost three decades.
"The postponement of Iran-U.S. talks has been due totechnical reasons, it has nothing to do with any other issues,"Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said in a newsconference. The comments were carried and translated by Iran'sEnglish-language Press TV.
He said an exact date for talks would be announced later.
Washington has used the talks to urge Iran to stop givingweapons and training to Shi'ite militias in Iraq, includingarmour-piercing bombs known as explosively formed penetratorsthat have killed hundreds of U.S. troops. Iran denies any role.
In response to Satterfield's comments, Hosseini said Iran"has had no hand in the unrest in Iraq, there are no pieces ofevidence in this regard."
Hosseini said preparations for the visit to Iraq by IranianPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, expected on March 2, were goingahead. He did not give details.
(Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
