Iran, U.S. Agree to Talks on Iraq

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, right, meets with US Vice President Dick Cheney at the Presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, May 13, 2007. Their talks are expected to focus on helping Iraq and curbing Iran's rising influence. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (Amr Nabil - AP)

The Baghdad setting will allow for "serious, quiet and focused discussions on the responsibilities and the obligations of all to help stabilize the situation in Iraq," Zebari said.

Despite the planned talks, mutual suspicion and tension between the two countries runs high.

During a visit to the United Arab Emirates, hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad demanded Sunday that the U.S. leave the Middle East _ two days after Cheney warned Tehran that Washington will not allow it to develop nuclear weapons or dominate the region.

"We are telling you to leave the region. This is for your benefit and the benefit of your nation," Ahmadinejad told the crowd at a soccer stadium in Dubai.

Iran has stressed that it sees the U.S. military presence in Iraq as a serious threat to its security. More than 140,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq _ with more expected this month as part of a stepped-up Baghdad security operation.

The U.S. sees Iran as the biggest threat to Iraq's stability, accusing Tehran of supplying Shiite militias with deadly roadside bombs that kill American troops. Iran denies the accusations.

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Associated Press writers Tom Raum in Cairo, Egypt; Jim Krane in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Kim Gamel in Baghdad; and Ben Feller in Jamestown, Va. contributed to this report.