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U.S, Iranians postpone talks on Iraqi violence | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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BAGHDAD, (Reuters) – The second meeting of a U.S.- Iranian committee set up to find ways to quell Iraq’s violence has been postponed because of a scheduling conflict, U.S. and Iraqi officials said on Friday.

U.S., Iranian and Iraqi officials had been due to meet in Baghdad next Tuesday and are now trying to find a date later this month that suits everyone.

“A scheduling conflict has necessitated in moving the talks, which we had anticipated to be next week,” said a spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Philip Reeker.

Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Labeed Abawi said he expected the Iraqi-hosted talks to take place within the next few days.

Washington accuses Iran of arming, funding and training Shi’ite militias in Iraq, a charge Tehran denies.

U.S. officials, however, have softened their rhetoric towards Iran in recent weeks, saying Tehran appears to have cut back its supply of explosively formed penetrators, a particularly deadly type of roadside bomb, to the militias.