Officials of the United States and Iran will hold talks on Iraq's security in the coming weeks, National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Sunday.
The planned talks will involve Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Johndroe told reporters aboard Air Force One.
"This is not about the United States and Iran. This is about Iraq. This is about Iran playing a constructive policy role inside Iraq," he noted.
Johndroe made the remarks after Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said earlier in the day that Tehran has agreed to a formal request from the United States to talk about security in Iraq during meetings in Baghdad.
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, who is visiting Egypt, said on Sunday that the United States is willing to talk to Iran as long as the conversations are limited to Iraq.